great tense political drama

Rating: 9/10 (17 April 2016)

It's October, 1962, the Cuban missile crisis. Photos from the U-2 spy plane show possible nuclear missiles on Cuban soil. This sets off high level panic that almost ends with WWIII. The movie centers on the Special Assistant to the President, Kenny O'Donnell (Kevin Costner). The push from the military is for a full invasion of Cuba. However, the Kennedy brothers and Kenny push back.
This is more like a brilliant stage play done with so much intensity that the audience is right there in the room. There are flashes of newsreels, CGI, and other footage to fill out the movie with the outside world. It is very much a political thriller inside the President's inner circle. It is tense despite the well known ending and event highlights. The use of Costner as a side character pushed out to be the lead is brilliant. It allows the best (but lesser known) actors in some of the most iconic roles around. Surprisingly, there are also flashes of humor. The acting is amazing. This is one of the best movies about those thirteen days.