Call me crazy but i kind of like these National Geographic original movies. They are like documentaries, told as movies. HOWEVER, having said that; this movie isn't all that great really...
There are of course countless of books, movies, television specials and whatnot about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, on 22 November 1963. There are of course various reasons for this and one of those reasons is because that, even till this date, there are countless of conspiracy theories about the assassination out there, the one more likely than the other and we still don't know with absolute certainty who was behind the actual killing and who were all involved with it. Out of all the crazy stories and theories to pick from, this movie features the absolute simplest one. It's like an anti-conspiracy movie and an extremely simplified explanation of the Kennedy assassination; Oswald shot alone, just because he wanted the attention and wanted to be seen and known as somebody and Ruby in return shot Oswald just because he liked Kennedy, which gets established in the simplest of ways by having Ruby say in one scene; 'Hey, I like Kennedy. I voted for him!'. Or something to that extend. And no, I'm really not exaggerating. That's just the way how things are set up in this movie. It's all far too simple and whether or not this movie is correct and based on actual facts really doesn't matter all that much, since there is no way of really knowing it for sure in the first place but also because it just doesn't make for a very interesting or engaging movie to watch. Besides, it's kind of annoying how this movie lazily glosses over some facts and doesn't ever remotely tries to provide any answers or evoke any discussions, by its very bland interpretation of history. Let me just say that through its simplicity this movie actually becomes far more ridicules and unconvincing than some of the craziest conspiracy theories that are floating around, concerning Kennedy's death.
Maybe it's also really because the movie its incredibly black & white interpretation of things. Oswald is handled like a real movie villain, who's plotting his evil scheme like a James Bond villain. It besides feels weird how this movie spends far more time with the Lee Harvey Oswald character than any other in this movie really, including John and Jacqueline Kennedy.
Thing this movie also is incredibly simplistic and black & white with are all of its drama and emotions. It's far too forced all, like you're watching some sort of poorly written soap-opera. It thinks that by just showing you people having a reaction to something that that's going to be enough to provoke emotions from its viewers. But the movie itself isn't ever building up to anything dramatic or heartfelt. It's just showing you stuff and emotions, without having you feel involved as a viewer, with any of it.
Rob Lowe seems like a weird choice to play John F. Kennedy but he actually does a pretty good job with it. It's clear that it really isn't due to any of the casting or acting that the movie and all of its characters don't ever work out too well. It's really all due to its writing and it's simplistic, almost lazy, approach to things.
Can't say that I absolutely hated watching it as well or ever felt truly annoyed or angered by any of it but it's still very obvious all throughout that nothing that this movie ever does- or attempts to achieve works out very well. Just nothing about it is very good but still, it's far from the worst thing you'll ever see.
5/10
Watch trailer
No comments: