It may not be fact but Stone delivers with pace and easily grips for pretty much the whole running time

Rating: Null/10 (13 April 2004)

November 22nd, 1963. Dallas, Texas. The 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy is shot dead as he goes through the city in his motorcade. After initial doubts about the official conclusions on the incident, New Orleans DA Jim Garrison opens up an investigation into the assassination. He uncovers clues to a conspiracy that seems to come from the very top but witnesses are hard to come by and the further through the looking glass he goes the more danger he puts himself and his family in.
Watching an Oliver Stone film can be a wearying experience at times. Often the effect of his films can be like have him standing in front of you shouting for a couple of hours, however here his style is perfectly set with a script that, whether you believe it or not, pulls you along at a terrible pace. As a piece of fact this film is bogus and it is up to each viewer to decide how much of it they want to accept or dismiss, but if you based your opinions on this film alone then you are too easily led. What it does do though is present a vast number of questions for you to take away, and it does that very well. The story relies heavily on theory, suggestion and characters who are combination of many, many small sources (combined for obvious reasons in the context of story telling).
It is a problem that this is presented as fact but I can forgive Stone that as he delivers it in such a thrilling manner. The story rarely lets the pace drop and the `facts' come thick and fast as we go deeper into Stone's `truth'. It is a breath taking ride and one that benefits from great direction, fantastic editing and a great mix of footage and stock. In the middle of this is a near-faultless performance from Kevin Costner. As I write this it is the accepted norm to hate him and every film with him in it - I don't entirely know why, but regardless he is great here. The perfect example of what he brings to the film is in the 20-minute courtroom scene where he is mesmerising. Hate him or not, it is impossible not to acknowledge his contribution to this film being so gripping.
Costner is supported by a great cast who do well regardless of their characters. Tommy Lee Jones and Joe Pesci have the least palatable characters in the film but they deliver them very well. Oldman plays his patsy very well and Garrison's team includes performances from Rooker and Sanders that help the tension and pace. Bacon is as good as ever, as is Sutherland and they stop you thinking that their characters are fictional. Turns from Matthau, Lemmon D'Onofrio, Vince, Candy and Knight are also great value. There isn't really a weak link in the film - each performance seems to add urgency to the film.
Overall, this film will put many off as it really appeals to those who are open to ideas or love conspiracy theories. If you aren't one of these then the film may just irritate you but, whether you accept it as fact or not (I don't) it is still very interesting and is presented with such wonderful style and vigour by Stone and made all the better thanks to a series of good performances led by a real killer from Costner.