Costner is back

Rating: Null/10 (17 April 2001)

This time ten years ago, Kevin Costner was the hottest kid on the block. A life-changing performance in Dancing With Wolves, and a worldwide blockbuster in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves had thrust him to the top of director's most wanted lists.
What goes up must come down though, and Costner did- with a bump. High-profile duds including Waterworld and The Postman had made him a laughing stock in some Hollywood quarters and it seemed that the once golden boy was dead and buried. Despite this, Costner has been handed a classic opportunity to restore his lagging reputation with his latest film Thirteen Days.
Based on real events, he stars as Kenny O'Donnell, political advisor to President John F. Kennedy (Greenwood) and his brother Bobby (Culp). It is October 1962 and the USSR have placed atomic weapons in Cuba, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war and possible Armageddon. Never have so many lives rested on the shoulders of one man as the president's actions dictate war or peace.
Costner excels as O'Donnell, as does Steven Culp as Bobby Kennedy, but the best performance of them all comes from Bruce Greenwood as the troubled and emotionally-torn president. The chemistry between the trio is exquisite and brings real feeling to characters whose real life stories are more the tales of comic books.
The archive footage is perfectly entwined into the plot and the air-force and navy scenes are excellently filmed. Despite a running time of over two and a half hours, as with any good movie, the story doesn't drag at all: there is no need for complex sub-plots or love-twists as Thirteen Days relies on a story so strong that it's difficult to believe it's based on true events.
There are no dud-performances as the acting is strong from start to finish and the message is strong and clear that we should learn from our mistakes in the past and never forget just how close we came to annihilating ourselves. And if you're looking for a more contemporary Hollywood message, how about this: Kevin Costner is back.
8/10