I was not alive when JFK was shot. I have heard that this moment was one that struck every person in the US to their core, allowing it to be a point in time where everyone knew exactly where they were when the event happened, but that doesn't actually convey an understanding of the thought processes and feelings that were associated with it.
I remember when Reagan was shot. It was a big deal, but I was too young to actually have an emotional response to it. Even if I had a response, I am told that it would not have been as dramatic as the JFK assassination was and the loss of innocence that it brought with it. Even 9-11 only brings with it a sinking feeling, but I am told that it just isn't the same.
This movie does a remarkable job of taking a public, historical event and making it personal. The JFK movies I had seen until now did nothing to really give a feeling of what was happening on the street, the chaos that ensued, and the lack of organization by the Secret Service and other agencies when it came to procedures in the event that this kind of thing happened.
From the reactions of the Secret Service men (including Billy Bob Thornton) to the emotional frailty of Paul Giamatti as Abraham Zapruder, this movie really manages to impart a feeling of shock and dismay around the event, and the confusion surrounding it. The fervid argument about custody of the body after JFK died is dramatic, and the stress is palpable. The situation and the actors manage to give a glimpse of the terrible emotions that everyone was feeling at the time.
They even include the storyline about Lee Harvey Oswald's brother's dealing with the event and his slightly insane mother's ramblings about how this event makes her an important person, so she should be able to demand near royal treatment, as her son will forever be referred to in the same breath as the President of the USA.
Even there, the James Badge Dale (who plays the brother) manages to really capture the mixed emotions including sorrow, rage, and disappointment, while actually not having all that many lines of dialog.
Acting was superb
Story was excellent
Directing was very good
Cinematography was very good
Writing was very good
4.25/5