Emilio Estevez’s Bobby is a tapestry of struggling and marginalized individuals. It tells the tale of Robert F. Kennedy’s last day alive and details the activities of several fictitious patrons of the Ambassador Hotel leading up to his tragic assassination there. There’s such a pure spirit at work here as Estevez articulates through events of both fact and fiction Kennedy’s message of peace, brotherhood, and the power of forgiveness. This mantra seeps into the very core of the film. Estevez has made some bad career choices in the past, but he reemerges successfully here as the fearless leader of this wondrous production. He also generously extends plum roles to actors who have already seen their careers peak and wane (Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, Christian Slater) as well as to members of the MTV generation desperate to launch serious acting careers despite media claims of meager talent and amateurish work habits (Shia LaBeouf, Nick Cannon, Ashton Kutcher, Lindsay Lohan). Together this ragtag crew has crafted one of the biggest surprises of the fall season. Bobby is a film of unabashed heart and raw emotion. It’s a charismatic piece of work with an endearingly messy passion for its stories and its characters. You could pick apart its flaws, but why would you want to? It’s just so beautiful inside and out.If I was pushed to compare Estevez (who hasn’t directed a feature in 10 years) to a contemporary director, I would label him as a slightly less kind hearted Cameron Crowe. Not only does he scrape together an inspired 60s soundtrack (kudos especially for bringing fresh cinematic life to Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” in our current day post-Graduate society), but he also captures a nostalgic charm and an earnestness that makes Bobby feel comparable to a darker, more tragic Almost Famous.
The cast is universally strong, but the inner workings of their individual characters mostly serve as a sideshow. The main event is uniting them together in accordance with Kennedy’s dream and creating a momentary euphoria of hope for a better future. Bobby is primarily a film about the importance of unity and cooperation in times of turmoil. Its message is both timely and timeless. It speaks to America in 1968 as well as it speaks to America now and all people the world over. This is simply a wonderful film.
Grade: A+
4 comments:
Well, I saw the film this week and I have to say I found it disappointing. You say at the beginning of your review that it "tells the tale of Robert F. Kennedy's last day alive," but actually it does anything but that. It actually reveals little about Kennedy himself until the closing credits, and focuses nearly all of its effort on telling a bunch of stories about fictional characters which doesn't add up to very much information or entertainment. Lots of great actors here, they all look good, but not much happens until the end of the movie.
I see your point about it not being centered on Kennedy, but I think the message of the film was really more about what Kennedy stood for than what his actual actions were that day. When we hear his speech layered over images of these fictional characters we read his words as a comment on them and on America in general. I don't think seeing him preparing his speech and getting ready that day would yield the same amount of emotional impact as these intertwining character narratives that really reflect the time and what Kennedy meant to people.
Yes, I agree with you that the film could have been much more meaningful if it had focused on what Kennedy actually stood for, if it had focused on characters who had more compelling stories to tell, such as the people who fought for Kennedy on the campaign trail, in the streets, in the houses of the workers, in the factories, in the ghetto, in the military, and many other places besides behind the doors of the suites at the high-class Ambassador Hotel, its hair salon and its kitchen. From this film, my opinion is that it would be hard for anyone to tell what exactly Kennedy did stand for, after all, but that's just my opinion.
It's a fair perspective. I think that would make for an interesting film as well. I just happened to be completely charmed and moved by this film. I liked that it was a movie about seemingly unimportant people coming together to share a tragic moment that will change their lives. I didn't want a heavy political film about Kennedy and his campaign. I wanted it to be something purely emotional and heartfelt like this movie.
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