Robb’s review published on Letterboxd:
Here’s the problem with a film like Athena. It bastardizes true struggle, true racism, true police brutality, for cheap suspense and emotional manipulation. This is what every right wing reactionary jerks off to, violent outsiders committing coordinated assaults for the sake of simple vengeance. Gavras won’t even commit to a centrist stance, as the film states, the original brother’s death wasn’t even by police. And the second brother? Why that was self defense of course.
And that’s the problem. Athena wears the struggle of the working class, the poor, and discriminated as a shield for insidious ideology. It shows protest as a misplaced rage, manipulated sympathy at best, and not as a means for real political change. And of course, linked to terrorism, for some reason. The message? In the end, even the most well intentioned immigrant who dedicates their life to the government is still, fundamentally, a screaming, kin killing terrorist. And maybe that was not Gavras intent, or perhaps I’m simply seeing this in the worst light for some reason. I don’t know, but I’m profoundly disappointed. There’s some great technical skill here, and the opening scene is spectacular. I just can’t get past that last half hour with a positive spin.
Is this well made? Yes. Well acted? Yes. Well intentioned? You be the judge. I can’t bring myself to give a better rating.
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