Review of JFK (1991) by Melvin W — 28 Jun 2011

Jim Garrison: It's gonna be OK, Dave. You just talk to us on the record, we'll protect you. I guarantee it.

David Ferrie: They'll get to you too. They'll destroy you. They're untouchable, man.

JFK is an amazing look at a possible conspiracy to kill the president. It is painstakingly well made. Anybody who complains about the running time did not watch the movie close enough. There is so much material in this film, I'm suprised it didn't run 4 and a half hours. Just like Jim Garrison, the film never slows down. The film does open up a lot of ideas about what really happened, but the great thing about this movie is that it can be enjoyed no matter if you believe parts of what they are saying or not. The cast is absolutely amazing in this movie. It's scene after scene of recognizable faces and big names. Costner, Jones, Oldman, Spacek, Pesci, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Grubbs, Jay O Sanders, Vincent D'Onorfio, John Candy, and Donald Sutherland, and the list goes on, but thats who I remember. It's an amazingly well shot film and it it won the Best Cinematography Oscar. Kevin Costner is electric in his role and his last speech during the trial of Clay Shaw is powerful and really well executed. The film shows us glaring faults in the investigation of JFK and then basically tells us to go find the truth. The film is dedicated to the young who seek the truth. This is Oliver Stones best film by far and the guy has made some really good movies; Platoon, Wall Street, Salvador, and the always overlooked Talk Radio. The subject definitely deserves thought and this film gives us a point to start at.