Review of The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) by Manny C — 30 Mar 2011
In 1974, Samuel Byck, an unstable car salesman, husband and father, attempted to hijack a jet and crash it into the White House in order to kill President Richard Nixon.
Byck never executed his plan, and died trying. And who was Byck? Just a man who felt betrayed by his job, family and most of all, his country, and he saw Nixon as the main symbol of his troubles. Director and co-writer Niels Mueller (in his debut), sees Byck (spelled Bicke in this movie) as the symbol of America's psychological state after Vietnam and Watergate. Fine ambition, but he doesn't quite reach that goal.
Luckily he has a terrific actor to portray Byck, and that would be the extremely talented Sean Penn. Penn easily recreates Byck's look and speech, but he also digs deep to find the loneliness in Byck, the torment that lead him to drift emotionally from his wife (Naomi Watts), his brother (Michael Wincott) and anyone else who try to help or get close, like his only friend (Don Cheadle) and his boss (Jack Thommpson). Seeing Byck's spiral into madness isn't an easy sight, but Penn makes it one of his best performances, one that burns in the memory.
This review of The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) was written by Manny C on 30 Mar 2011.
The Assassination of Richard Nixon has generally received positive reviews.
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