If you love conspiracy and historical fiction, "JFK" is unbeatable

Rating: 9/10 (2 August 2010)

The most famous conspiracy of all time gets the big-screen treatment and boy, what a treatment it is. Famed and controversial filmmaker Oliver Stone appeared to be in way over his head with "JFK," pouring what probably amounts to decades of investigation and research into three-plus hours of screen time, enough to convince even the most stringent of government sympathizers that Lee Harvey Oswald could not have possibly assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
Even if you're not a fan of historical conspiracy, if you appreciate film you'll be blown away by the technical precision of Stone's effort. The conspiracy itself does guide much of the film's run time (that's not to detract from its powerful ideological arguments between characters), so it can be weighty for those who don't enjoy the learning aspect. However, the masterful blend of contemporary scenes and archive footage give "JFK" an unparalleled documentary-like feel.
The use of various cameras, lenses and film stock makes a lot of the film's footage appear to be archive footage, so naturally it's hard to distinguish fact from fiction, but the result is more fascinating than confusing. Whole sections of the film belong to two monologues: Jim Garrison's (Kevin Costner) closing argument to the jury at the film's end and the mysterious source "X" (Donald Sutherland) explaining to Garrison how the Department of Defense, FBI and CIA all could have collaborated to carry out the assassination. Without mixing in compelling visuals, these scenes would consist only of talking heads. Not only do these visuals work, but they also make sense. It's no wonder cinematography and editing were the two victories "JFK" scored at the Academy Awards.
Although Stone's focus is the material itself, the characters are still compelling. The story centers around New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who three years after the assassination has an epiphany and opens the first investigation of the president's murder, finding it impossible to believe that Oswald (Gary Oldman) alone could have fired three shots from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository and been successful.
The film delves a bit into Garrison's family life, which shows how his "obsession" with the case has hurt his family and upset his wife. Sounds pretty typical, but the writing from Stone and Zachary Sklar creates such deep empathy that you understand exactly where each character comes from. The same happens in the other dramatic scenes between Garrison and the people he questions or Garrison and members of his investigative team that begin to question the whole thing. Costner is downright believable and you're with him and behind him every step of the way.
The rest of the cast is flooring. There are a number of cameos and small parts filmed by huge names. There's everyone from the tandem of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon (not together however) to Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pesci, Kevin Bacon and Sissy Spacek to John Candy. When you watch a film that has so many excellent faces appear for brief minutes, you get the sense that the film is important. Any script that draws in that many names must be special and "JFK" is.
The film occasionally loses itself in all the conspiracy exposition, but anyone who finds it interesting will discover the seemingly insurmountable run time much easier to handle than expected. The choice, however, makes "JFK" a non-traditional film. It's a unique breed of historical fiction, a textbook in story form. But to top it all off, it speaks profoundly about themes regarding people and their government, the fear-power dynamic and of course fighting for the fundamental right to truth.
~Steven C
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