Jon Hamm gets his first leading film role as a US diplomat who’s called back to the titular city to negotiate a prisoner exchange. He does a good job of staying on top of Tony Gilroy’s continuous dialogue. But unlike the “Bourne” films the writer is known for, this is much more about political conflict and intrigue than action (there are only very short, minor action scenes). For someone who’s not familiar with the historical importance of the events in the 80s Lebanon (like me), the complexity of the machinations and layers of leaders may sometimes be confusing. Still, the film moves briskly and makes sufficient sense to keep it involving. It helps that Hamm’s performance provides a strong central core.

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