JFK Review by Sputnik

Academy Award-winner Oliver Stone’s (“Natural Born Killers,” “Born on the Fourth of July”) highly acclaimed and Academy Award-winning docudrama chronicles New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison’s investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy – controversially putting to the test some of the incredible details of the official “single assassin” and “magic bullet” explanations that have quietly plagued the nation for decades. Academy Award-winning superstar Kevin Costner (“Rumor Has It ,” “The Bodyguard”) heads a tremendous all-star cast, with the real Garrison in an ironic cameo as future Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, of the government’s infamous Warren Commission.

Its an excellent movie based on New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison’s investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The movie is quite slow paced at 3 hours and 26 minutes long. Its part courtroom drama and part investigative thriller.

The movie is filled with so many good scenes like the Crossfire in Daley Plaza scene, meeting with X scene or the scene where David Ferrie is going crazy. The courtroom scene discussing the single bullet theory is excellent. The scene was famously spoofed in an episode of Seinfeld with Wayne Knight reprising similar role in the scene. The best scene of the movie is the Zapruder film scene. You can watch most of these scenes here.

Kevin Costner was very good as the obsessed Jim Garrison. His righteous role did seem similar to his role from The Untouchables. Sissy Spacek was good as his wife Liz. Tommy Lee Jones was excellent as Clay Shaw and was deservedly nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Gary Oldman was very good as Lee Harvey Oswald. Michael Rooker was good Bill Broussard. Kevin Bacon was good in a small role. Joe Pesci was very good as David Ferrie. Jack Lemmon was good in a small role. Donald Sutherland was good in a cameo. The real Jim Garrison is in a small cameo as Earl Warren. The rest of the cast was decent.

The movie was nominated for 8 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Sound. The movie won Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.

Oliver Stone’s direction is excellent. He shreds the “single assassin” and the “magic bullet” theories into pieces. Some may dismiss the movie as a movie based on a conspiracy theory but the official explanation for JFK’s murder is more ridiculous than any conspiracy theory. The movie is a must watch if you are interested in John F Kennedy’s murder.

Highly Recommended