These 1962 events acquire special significance in 2000 !

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2011)

It's impossible not to relate between the date of the film's events, and the date of its production. The crises of the Russian missiles of 1962 and Kennedy's caution towards the idea of declaring a war against Cuba come to assure the smartness of the late leader, and expose - at the same time - the stupidity of other living leaders!
The spread lines, here and there in the film, about striking a little nation and turning it back to the Stone Age as something the people of that nation, along with the Americans themselves, don't deserve at all is not a matter far from any other American war on other little nations. The link is more than tangible. See how it prognosticates, or reads well, the American war on Iraq with the last line of "Let's broaden our influence in the middle east.", said by one of the white house's wicked exacts, particularly after the peaceful termination that the Cuban-American situation ended up to.
Choosing (Roger Donaldson) to take over the director's chair was a bit disappointing, maybe for him and sure for us. Because he's that clever pure action thriller director (No Way Out, The Getaway, Dante's Peak, The Recruit) he was out of his area for nearly all the time. Save the moment of shooting the missiles by fast planes, which was done astonishingly, (Donaldson) was manacled by endless conversations in closed rooms. I think he got board in a way that got to us as well.
(Donaldson) couldn't handle the script the smart way it did with the thrill. There is a cold sense all over it. Most of the scenes is TV-ish with executive mark; standing men, talking in the oval office. Resorting to black and white image sometimes didn't give it any deepness or singularity. Add to that, not going into anyone's life or background else the president's consultant; played by the film's star and producer Kevin Costner.
Using stock footage, from old documentaries or films, that show the Marines getting ready for war wasn't for the film's sake. The quality of their image contradicted highly with the so modern quality of the film's image. Therefore they looked so inharmonic, unlike the intended.
Strangely, the 44-year-old Bruce Greenwood looked older than the 45-year-old John F. Kennedy, and uglier. Poor Greenwood was also eaten by the presence of Costner and the character that was given to him; despite how many historical sources state that Kenny O'Donnell had no role in the crisis, and that it was, in fact, Ted Sorensen who pulled the administration together.
A producer proves that he or she is distinct and bold by being enthusiastic for the different thing. Costner produced Dances with Wolves (1990) with a story about the old west, acted in Red Indian language, and ran for 3 hours, when it was usual to refuse only the first part! Knowing the nature of (Thirteen Days), being anything like the epical, flashy and meant to entertain other films he produced, such as Wyatt Earp (1994), Waterworld (1995), and The Postman (1997), you have to respect the mission he undertook to make a project like this see the light. This time, he gives quite a testimony about an American leader's wisdom and leaning to piece, once. Let alone that testimony's impeccable timing. OK, Costner is not only distinct and bold, he also has a conscience. That's something rare to find in a producer in Hollywood!
Couple of years before this film, precisely on October 31, 1998, Bill Clinton signed a law which instituted a policy of "regime change" against Iraq. Although it explicitly stated that it did not speak to the use of American military forces, Clinton launched a four-day bombing campaign, lasting from December 16 to December 19, 1998. The rest can be watched through George W. Bush's presidency, when Iraq was invaded for false accusations of owning nuclear arms. So if Clinton, Bush, or Obama didn't make themselves, and the world, a favor by watching and understanding the film that took place in their presidential house, then let me hope that next presidents would. However, obviously lately, stupidity, greed, or simply the arms dealers, don't want any similar critical situation to end in just 13 days. Enough to say that the one who managed to do it, John Kennedy, was killed in the next year, ironically after 13 months of the crises' start!
All the American propaganda films is about "let's war", and "how we're good at it". This one is about "let's not war", and "how we can do it good", making rare propaganda for rationality over madness. It is a good film about giant event. Despite being a bit cinematically pale, its strength comes from its well-made sensitive drama. And its uniqueness comes from being the history lesson that nearly nobody wanted, or wants, to listen to.