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FILM DETAILS

Certificate 15

Cast Kevin Costner Joe Pesci Sissy Spacek Jack Lemmon Donald Sutherland John Candy Walter Matthau Kevin Bacon Tommy Lee Jones.

Directors Oliver Stone.

Screenwriters Oliver Stone Zachary Sklar.

Running Time 190 minutes

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JFK
Oliver Stone's carpet bombing of conspiracy theories.

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Plot
On November 22nd 1963, John F Kennedy, President of the United States of America, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Many to this day believe it was not solely the work of the man arrested (also killed before trial), Lee Harvey Oswald. Jim Garrison (Costner) tried for years to prove this.

Review
Many Americans believe that truth about the assassination of John F. Kennedy has never been revealed. Former New Orleans District Attorney, Jim Garrison, one of the most extreme debunkers of the Warren Commission's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, spun his own theory which involved the CIA, anti-Castro Cubans, Lyndon Banes Johnson, and New Orleans businessman Clay Shaw - who was acquitted after Garrison bought him to trial.

Only the most attentive viewer will be able to keep all of the story straight. As history the film is bogus; as entertainment, it is intermittently riveting, thanks to generally excellent performances and Stone's visceral directorial energy, although interest flags during Costner's long courtroom summation.

Whatever one believes about the assassination, Garrison's continued good health is the best argument against his particular theory. If the conspiracy was, as the movie claims, so widespread that even minor participants met mysterious ends, why was he allowed to continue his investigation? Stone, who co-wrote the film with Zachary Skiar, Garrison's editor, never answers this; his alleged purpose is merely to prod people into questioning the official position on the issue. However, Stone presents his version as the absolute truth - complete with recitations that read as fact - and Garrison as a maligned hero. Still, if conspiracy theories are your cup of tea - or if you just like a good yarn - JFK may satisfy.

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Average user rating for JFK

Cateir de Pheniox

You say that the performances are generally excellen performances but you were meant to say excellent, you missed ou the t my dear Torene. ... More

Posted by Cateir de Pheniox at 22:49, 25 November 2010 | Report This Post

the verdict and the body of the review seem entirely independent of each other... still just saw this for the first time and it's excellent film-making. don't particularly care how accurate it is it was a superb film and thats the main thing. ... More

Posted by richCie at 17:21, 02 December 2008 | Report This Post

It totally blew me away. A masterpiece. One of the best films ever made. ... More

Posted by nc_jj at 04:19, 05 March 2008 | Report This Post

It totally blew me away. A masterpiece. One of the best films ever made. ... More

Posted by nc_jj at 04:19, 05 March 2008 | Report This Post

if the film isnt telling the truth then whats the point in watching it? ... More

Posted by bobbyperu at 13:53, 26 October 2007 | Report This Post

if the film isnt telling the truth then whats the point in watching it? ... More

Posted by bobbyperu at 13:53, 26 October 2007 | Report This Post

RE:

This is for me still one of the most persuasive political films ever made. I'm not querying the veracity of Oliver Stone's take on the assassination - let's face it, on this subject, everything's up for grabs - but I am applauding his amazing use of the film medium. Reconstructions, real footage, different film stocks. Stone has since used similar devices in his other films to actually rather irritating effect (I speak of you "Natural Born Killers") but in "JFK" everything dovetailed together t... More

Posted by RJNeb2 at 17:35, 17 September 2007 | Report This Post

The best conspracy film ever made, Olver Stone's masterpiece, has a great cast and good script. ... More

Posted by Naweed_1 at 17:44, 11 March 2006 | Report This Post

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