Time flies despite its daunting runtime - An informative and important film

eshwarmail

Reviewed April 2012

The movie might have exaggerated, dramatized or manipulated certain real events, but what a stunning presentation featuring one of the best ensemble performances and intense screenplay that holds the audience attention for well over 3 hours. Though it reminds a bit of 'All the presidents men', it doesn't have its subtlety.

It all starts after the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the conspiracies surrounding the investigation. Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) a DA of New Orleans is convinced that there is a lot more to what the officials are willing to share and after finding a lot of loop holes in the Warren Commissions report, starts an unauthorized investigation with a small team from his office. He starts putting together facts, speculates certain conspiracy theories and the case starts consuming him. The fear, humiliation, object of losing his family doesn't stop him from going further.

The amount of information, fact or fiction fed to the audience in extraordinary and since it is a little speculative and involves one of the most popular conspiracy theories, there is a better chance the audience gets sucked into it. Screenplay doesn't allow a single dull moment and every actor gives a one up performance scene after scene. The look of the period and a clever mix of real and shot footage helps too. One problem here is that, it does not just present the important facts and let the viewer decide, it thinks for the viewer too. Thus dumbing down and ending up one dimensional.

Knowing the runtime beforehand might be a daunting task for you to attempt to watch this, trust me time flies is an idiom never more appropriate while watching this movie.

score 9/10

eshwarmail 9 January 2017

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3616177/