Review of Chappaquiddick (2018) by Benjamin H — 09 Jun 2018

Given the significant and controversial political nature of its subject matter, one would think that Chappaquiddick would be very intense, full of twists and mystery and suspense, but it just is not that sort of film. It had such potential to delve deep into the controversy surrounding what really happened and why it happened, but the narrative is disappointingly safe. It comes across as more formulaic than it was capable of, focusing solely on the perspective of Ted Kennedy and how he dealt with the death of Mary-Jo rather than exploring the events that lead up to it and the broader events that followed it.

Despite the bland, one-sided storytelling, the acting is phenomenal and the script is strong. This is by far the best outing I have yet seen from Jason Clarke in the lead and everyone else is very dedicated to their roles. The writing is smart, managing to blend drama and wit surprisingly well. The cinematography was pretty enough, but failed to stand out in its own right. The editing was another weak point of the film, as many of the transitions feel forced and awkward, to say the least.

Chappaquiddick is definitely a film worth seeing, but I likely will not be seeing it again, as I kept waiting for the story to develop tension and it never did. The drama ended up falling flat as a result and it ends up feeling more like a Netflix Original than anything else.

Story: 3.

Acting: 9.

Script: 7.5.

Visuals/Sound: 6.5.

Entertainment Value: 6.5.

MY RATING: 6.5/10.