Good TV drama with well-directed dramatic tension and some fine performances ... and Kevin Cosner

Rating: 7/10 (18 February 2013)

A good movie, with some excellent performances. Bruce Greenwood is utterly believable as President Kennedy and was a bit of inspired casting, and Steven Culp makes an excellent Bobby Kennedy. The latter's performance deserves special mention, I feel, as Culp is otherwise a relative unknown, someone who has a long list of walk on parts in numerous TV series from The Cosby Show to Grey's Anatomy, yet is not exactly a familiar name or face.
As a drama it is enjoyable to follow and achieves real dramatic tension during critical moments, which is a tricky act to pull off in any story when one already knows the end (if not, Google 'Cuban Missile Crisis'!)
I was not left with an impression of having watched a high end movie, it left more of an impression of a high quality TV drama-documentary. In short I liked it! It kept my attention all the way through, and I'm someone who easily loses interest if I feel the quality of a movie is becoming suspect, or it is simply boringly told.
Kevin Costner ... his performance is good, I suppose, but ... what is it about the man? Towards the end of the movie I get the feeling he's trying to steal the show. He simply a presidential adviser, but as the political tensions escalate I feel Cosner is forgetting that the movie is not about him, but about Kennedy, nucleur missiles and a key moment in world diplomatic history. He should stayed in the background and trusted the abilities of Greenwood, etc. to carry the drama to its conclusion.
Or maybe this criticism should really be directed at the writers or director. However, maybe I'm overdoing the criticism. Costner's a big name. If he'd been an unknown in his first movie I'd be praising he to the heavens.
All-in-all a movie I'd recommend to a friend as a memorable drama which will leave a good impression and even educate one a little bit.