A masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2003)

One of my favorite directors is Oliver Stone, who is either called a conspiracy-riddled nutcase or a genius, depending on who you ask. Stone's 1991 film JFK shows me that he is the latter. I loved this film. In fact, I would have to say it is one of the best movies I have ever seen in my life.
Released surrounded in controversey, JFK tells the story of a New Orleans District Attourney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner), who was so rattled by John F. Kennedy's death that he decides to do his own investigation, and it takes him everywhere from New Orleans' homosexual underworld to the steps of the Lincoln Monument in Washington, D.C. where Garrison meets the mysterious Mr. X (Donald Sutherland).
Garrison then tries to convict one Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones in his Oscar-nominated performance) of conspirating with Lee Harvey Oswald. Through the film, we see Stone's conspiracy theory begin to make sense, and we see his attempt to show us, the viewer, what he thinks of this event in history.

Stone's take on the assassination is incredible. He brings everything forward to the table, and this is the first film Stone made where he started using his rapid-fire editing style, switching back and forth from different film stocks, such as still photos, black and white film, color film, 16 mm stock, 35 mm, and more. This really keeps the viewer on edge, and it better -- this is one long film, the director's cut racking in at 3 hours and twenty-five minutes. The film flies by us, however, because of the Oscar-winning film editing.
All in all, I would have to say JFK is one of the best films of all time, tying with Pulp Fiction as my favorite film of the ninties. It's brilliant. See it. Now.