7 Days in Entebbe

7 Days in Entebbe is a film inspired by true events. In the summer of 1976, an Air France jet traveling from Tel Aviv to Paris is taken over in midair by four hijackers; two Palestinians and two left-wing German radicals. When the plane is diverted to an abandoned terminal at Entebbe Airport in Uganda, the terrified passengers become bargaining chips in a deadly political standoff. As the likelihood of finding a diplomatic solution fades, the Israeli government sets in motion an extraordinary plan to free the prisoners before time runs out.

Starring: Rosamund Pike, Daniel Brühl, Eddie Marsan, Ben Schnetzer, Lior Ashkenazi
Director: José Padilha
India release date: Mar 17, 2018
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Language: English
Duration: 1 hour, 46 mins

“In the middle, Padilha keeps cutting away to a dance drama being staged in Jerusalem by the girlfriend of one of the soldiers taking part in the rescue operation. However, but for right at the end of the film, when the dance provides a tempo and impetus to the soldiers going blazing in for the rescue, the whole exercise seems pointless and indulgent.”

Rating: 3 stars | Full review

Shalini Langer, Indian Express

“Eccentric cinematic decision to intercut a dance performance by a troupe in Jerusalem, with the rescue mission. This ends up as hugely distracting from the drama and action in the final climactic scenes. The beat of the rhythmic music from the dance, and the visuals of the energetic movements of the dancers, virtually edits the climax of ‘7 Days in Entebbe’, jumbling the sequence of events entirely in the audience’s minds.”

Rating: 2 stars | Full review

Ajit Duara, Open

“Gregory Burke’s screenplay tries to include poetry and movement as a juxtaposition offsetting the top-secret Israeli raid about to ensue. Though the Batsheva dance company’s rehearsals and final performance is quite powerful, it fails to add tension or edginess to the narrative which attempts to criss-cross between the dance elements and the stealthy movement of the forces in the thick of night. The symbolism arrived thereof of tortured liberation is not forceful enough though.”

Rating: 2.5 stars | Full review

Johnson Thomas, Mid Day

“One can almost read the makers’ subtext: ‘terrorists continue to be born, because leaders refuse to negotiate peace treaties’. Blaming everybody and nobody is hardly a film-worthy expedition.”

Rating: 2 stars | Full review

Rahul Desai, Film Companion

7 Days in Entebbe on IMDB