Ghosts of Beirut

The only review on the page so far is titled "Maybe it gets better, maybe"... Believe me when I say, it does NOT "get better". This is NOT a made-up drama - this is REAL LIFE and real life often does NOT "get better".

I have lived in Israel for most of the past 42 years (29 as a citizen) and was in Israel in 1981 & 1982 when what you saw in Episode 1 actually happened. While I was in Canada when the US Embassy was bombed and Robert Ames was killed and in the USA when the US Marine Barracks in Beirut was bombed, I remember it all like it was yesterday, since so much of "it" continues.

The production is an interesting concept - with actors playing the parts of what are, for me, well-known, recognizable people, such as Imad Mughniyeh and Robert Ames - but also with real experts who were either there or involved in some way describing the situation and the people involved.

I am looking forward to the other three episodes to see if they match my memories... And by the way, with all the hatred directed towards Israel and the almost constant attacks on our population (I have lived in Jerusalem through the First and Second "Intifadas" and still today), I still feel safer here than anywhere else I have lived, including several locations in the United States!

Good acting although the Middle East topic was and still is very very complicated, I feel that there was not enough data about mugniyeh, his background, his extreme ruthlessness that is not depicted enough, for example there is a story about him burning alive a three year old child of a south Lebanese Israeli collaborator.

Where he grew up, how he met Hassan nasserallah. So the series is good acting is good but they could've added two episodes at least for a more gripping intriguing story.

The amount of stories about the Middle East can be made to an entire season, Meir Dagan R. I. P the head of mossad then was quite a fascinating man himself.

What a tremendous look back at some very important events in the ongoing horror that is Israel and their surrounding Arab enemies.

The enmity and hatred between the Jewish state and Iran, The Lebanon and American assistance to Tel Aviv and Israel is well displayed here. The pure love between Imad and his lovely wife cut deep throughout the series. I found it to be a marvelous juxtaposition between the love and loathing that is on display throughout this short but amazing series.

The amazing actress Dina Shihabi and her character is mesmerizing, entrancing, absorbing and demands the camera. She is enthralling with her lovely voice, hair and pure intelligence and empathy. I found myself pausing the show and going back to her and her scenes. She is thrilling!

Highly recommend this show to everyone. You most certainly will not regret it.

This line is so apropos imo regarding the ongoing hell that is the state of Israel, the USA and all the nebulous nefarious and righteous activities of their rivals and friends in the roiled region of tumult and turbulence. 'In the turmoil of knowledge, insanity abides.' I long ago decided to pay as little attention to the horrors there as possible. It is so sad and sorrowful and does not seem to ever ever end because an ending of it is impossible or may be the next WWIII flashpoint and the end of all things within that region.

I want to end this review with, "Peace out", but I can't for obvious reasons. May all the deities bless you all. Shokran.

As "Ghosts of Beirut" (2023 release; 4 Episodes of about 50-55 min each) opens, we are reminded that this mini-series is a "Fictional Account of Deeply Researched Events". We are in "Southern Iraq, January 20, 2007" and four SUV's brazenly enter a US base and kidnap several US military. We switch to the "CIA Tactical Headquarters" when a CIA agent claims that the kidnapping has all of the hallmarks of being orchestrated by Imad, the long sought after terrorist. We then switch to "Beirut 1982" where we get to know the young Imad. At this point we are less than 15 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: I can't recall ever having seen a movie or TV series with the disclaimer of being a "fictional account of deeply researched events". Do you? Of course, plenty of "based on" or "inspired by" or some such, but this particular wording? No. I have no idea how closely to the actual facts this mini-series sticks, As Episode 1 played out, it took me quite a while to figure out exactly what was going on. Many, many characters to sort out. Also what role exactly the US was playing in Lebanon in the early/mid 80s. By the end of Episode 1, though, things were much clearer, at least as far as figuring out the plot. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out from here.

"Ghosts of Beirut" started streaming on the Showtime app yesterday (Friday), and Episode 1 will actually be shown on SHO TV tomorrow (Sunday). The remaining 3 episodes will be released over the next 3 weekends. If you have any interest on geopolitical events in general, or in the Middle East in particular, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Ghosts of Beirut is very well written and depicts its time periods accurately. The acting is solid most of the time and I like the documentary pieces that were added.

The series should be 3 episodes longer, however. What I really missed, was the 90s and how Imad managed to be the so called ghost. In my opinion this is an essential part of his reputation.

I also would have liked the Arabic actors to be Lebanese, as most of them have a an Israeli Arabic background. This does not entirely capture the Lebanese vibe, although Dina Shahibi has lived in Beirut.

But this is well worth your time and attention.