Bobby

By: Jack Hunt 2.3.2009

The Movie Itself:
The Kennedy’s tale is a long and twisted one. Scandal and personal demons would ultimately keep Ted Kennedy out of the White House, leaving Robert as possibly the Kennedy’s last hope in Washington. But on June 6th, 1968, tragedy struck the family once again. Robert F. Kennedy was gun downed during an assassination attempt and the Nation mourned. Of those who witnessed it; some may have been politicians, journalists and celebrity's alike. But on this day, through ‘Bobby’ we share the tale of the ordinary man, along with the extraordinary as well.

‘Bobby’ follows 22 character studies, affixed around the assassination of Robert Kennedy. The scenes that are portrayed occur in the hours before and are unrelated to the actual events. Over the course of the film, we follow these women and gentlemen on some unique journeys, while Kennedy acts as a sort of narrator of such. Kennedy is not so much a character, but a guide. Voice-overs and clips of his image and speeches blend into the incidents. They all share one thing in common: they are fighting for a change. Some are trapped in a society of a 1950’s mentality, which was more concerned about success and society, while others are embracing the 1960’s, which preached the need for healing and love. As we explore these specific and personal events surrounding the assignation, it’s easy to get lost. With so many lives being followed and only particular events being explored, the correlation is that all reflect the times.

We find the issues of morality and race, the poor man and the rich alike, the lonely and the proud. All unique in their story and told through the eyes of the individual; a blending of society all of which make this Country what it is. People make a country. And here we find the back-end of a kitchen staff and their dejected employer. A man who cheats on his wife. The deference between a studied game of chess and the downside of a Hotel lounge singer’s career. Those in seek of a high, that doesn’t just feel good. “Are you ready to have a personal relationship with God?” Turn on and tune out. A man only marrying to avoid the horrors of the Vietnam War. The film takes root in an interesting display of characters that all serve as the melting-pot of society. Maybe this was all just a fantasy; with draft dodgers, a doorman who suck at chess, black shoes and haggled employees. But in the end, all is right in the world or oh so terribly wrong.

The cast offers a dizzying array of a couple of A-list actors, but many more teetering on the flip-side of B, and one Lindsay Lohan, whatever the hell she is now!?! Some seem to shine, while others lack. I don’t know? Maybe they were all great. William H. Macy is the manager of the Ambassador Hotel, with Sharon Stone as his hairdresser wife. Heather Graham is one of the Hotels operators and is carrying on a lucid affair with Macy. Demi Moore is a delusional, washed-up lounge singer; with Emilio Estevez as her sullen manager. Lindsay Lohan portrays the nervous bride preparing to marry Elijah Wood for all the right or wrong reasons, but as good deeds go this one is just and keeping him out of the conflict of the Vietnam War. Christian Slater is the racist food & beverage manger, who hates his staff almost as much as he does himself, but is intrigued by an attractive Socialist reporter. Freddy Rodriguez, Jacob Vargas and Laurence Fishburne round out the melting pot of the kitchen staff, charged with racial divisions and the struggle of the lower class. Ashton Kutcher and Shia LaBeouf both look comfortable in their roles as an acid dropping hippie and campaign advisor looking for a good time and the sexy waitress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who shares some moments in between. Joshua Jackson and Nick Cannon boldly, or blindly, campaign for Kennedy. Martin Sheen and Helen Hunt play the part of the older man and his younger woman, and Anthony Hopkins and Harry Belafonte break down barriers through a studied game of chess. Honestly half the time, I had no idea what’s going on! The prevalent issues are somewhat lost on me through the interesting babble. Until there is a moment, where I sit back and say, hey I get it. Many men and women can share an historic moment, each with their own story to tell. One thing is for sure, the events of the day are sure to come to a shocking conclusion.

Director and writer Emilio Estevez has come a long way since his ‘Men at Work’ days and delivered a well crafted, yet flawed piece. Estevez does a tremendous effort in bringing all the stars together to form a successful period piece that is strong in detail. It has a modern edge that is unmistakable. The power of the film seems to come from the use of Kennedy’s actual speech footage. With the fully loaded cast, staring many lesser notables than Estevez himself; they do a decent job of portraying their characters and complete with the sense of a troubled, but changing nation. Maybe the flaw lies in the stories themselves?

The idea of several stories, played out to a single prevailing theme, is unique, and common, in a sense. I never found this technique to be so shocking in its method. Magnolia and Crash, for example all shared the same idea, but met with more success. Yeah, I get it. There are many people in society and they all have a story to tell. So what? Sometimes in this big bad world, we might even share a moment or two. Maybe over cocktails, maybe not. How about a bunch of us go bowling and watch President Obama get inaugurated. 41 years from now we can all sit around and say hey when Obama was the man; you bowled a 78 and then fell asleep on the subway. It will be historic. No, it won’t. It will be dull and predictable. Who will care that I’m a drunk, you’re homeless and our neighbor’s mom is a stripper. No one. So why do I care about some random characters in a film? I’ll tell you why, because I am them and they are me. It’s the guy sitting next to you on the subway, the attractive woman you pass in the street or the waiter that serves you breakfast every morning. Yes, History is told by those who witness it; but sometimes history is not about how you went to Washington and were brought to your knees, crying for change or I stayed home and got drunk by myself, crying in my beer. It’s about who you were at the time history was created. And then there is even that one time, where the human spirit rises to the occasion and breaks down all the barriers. Anyone can be a hero; life is only what you make it to be.

Although I’ve never been a fan of the Kennedy’s political careers, John included, I appreciate the drive and success of the privileged family. They were great speakers, wild eyed expressionists and most of all, they were showmen. They knew how to play to a crowd and build up hope through tension. Robert was a father to eleven children, husband to Ethel and lover to many. As Attorney General, he was intelligent. As a Civil Rights leader, he was passionate and on civil liberties he was precedent. Quite a few years back now, I had the pleasure of seeing a young maverick named George W. Bush talk about his promise for change. 8 years later, the Texas Rangers still suck. Did the world change since then? Yes, it’s progressively getting worse. The violence of society, the downspin of morality, and the plague of addiction wrapped up in the conflict of this ‘next’ generation. Will Obama prove to be a Kennedy type of leader? One that unites us, or pull us apart? And will there be a change for the better? Well I can’t say. Right now it’s pretty scary out there and I sure hope someone can make a difference in my lifetime. My point is; I care about the issues, not the politics. Be it the protest of Vietnam, the value of Civil Liberties and common decency or the protest of the Iraq War, the revival of the Economy and for God’s sake already, common decency.

“First is the danger of futility; the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the Earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32-year-old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. "Give me a place to stand," said Archimedes, "and I will move the world." These men moved the world, and so can we all.” Robert F. Kennedy - Powerful.

It is half past 2 a.m. and I‘m kind of humbled by this movie. It’s safe to say that it resonates with me now. I mean, I’m 28 years, “Who am I. Where am I going?” Sure I’ve lost. Maybe it’s time to put it all behind me and move on. I have this beautiful girl. She has these eyes; green eyes with some kind of violet shade of blue. The kind you could get lost in and through which, I can see change. What I’m trying to do, is build a happy home for us. If I’m lucky enough, she’ll have my child. And we’ll grow old together, and there will be mostly good, but some bad times too. But in the end, I’ll be her hero and the history we make is by that of our children’s future.

To many, the Kennedy’s were heroes. They moved men and women; helped to break barriers and unit races. They were great speakers, leaders and even fashion icons. It’s safe to say, they were loved by all. Robert F. Kennedy was no exception. Does ‘Bobby’ do their legacy justice? Maybe. Is this film powerful and moving? In some ways, yes. Is the story unique? Sure tries to be. Does it succeed? Well, I’ll leave that up to you.
Rating: 7/10

The Presentation:
'Bobby' comes to Blu-ray via Netherlands Import with a 1080p~Full HD transfer. I must say this BD looks fantastic, with a clean and crisp flow. With both brilliant exteriors and interiors alike, that never seem to fluctuate. With few soft scenes throughout; the only noticeable ones seem to be the Presidential footage, even they look great, and few exteriors.

The transfer delivers a wonderful High Definition feel throughout. The overtones seem to start drenched in deep blues and mellow yellows. The film quickly eases up to brightly lit scenes with crisp whites and deep blacks. Depending on the mood of the scene, which all seem to be vibrant, the colors are brilliant. Skin tones are nothing but correct. Given the nature of the shooting style, some scenes are shaky, but I took this more as a statement setting the tone for the troublesome times. Which are clearly focused and corrected. Certain exteriors have some DNR, but very few panning shots. No visible grain, super clean transfer.

Sharon Stone and Demi Moore look wonderfully aged and are a marvelous display on the determents of alcohol abuse in HD. One certain archived Kennedy footage is as beautiful, as it is shocking. He talks to school children about politics, the detriments of society and gas masks in New York City. The kids look terrified, but the 40+ year old stock news footage looks fantastic. Over-all the mixture of new and historic footage is seamlessly combined and offers a tremendous effect.

If you can find this Import Blu-ray, I can highly recommend it as a brilliant transfer all around. I find it hard grading it anything but perfect. I was actually blown away by this transfer, if not a great but certainly not a mediocre film. In any event, I’m patiently waiting for the State side release. Please share this experience; it’s one that needs to be seen on Blu-ray.
Rating: 10/10

Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy!!!

The Extras:
Behind the Scenes:
Is exactly what it sounds like, a visualization of some scenes from the point of view of behind the camera. Some with audio, some without. Here we see Estevez at work and different shooting angles of the several scenes. This feature was a little buggy using my LG BH200 to screen the film, but they played perfectly. Honestly, not much to see here and it goes on forever. Avoid. (18 mins)

The Making of an American Epic:
Background on Kennedy and the film by the Director Estevez, Fishburne, Hopkins and several notable cast members. Basically, the film laid out by the actors and the impact they feel the various characters have being played out. All the characters have a story to tell, described by the actors behind them. Estevez explains how he actually wrote out Fishburne’s character with him in mind. Pretty detailed and well thought out featurette. Recommended. (24 mins)

Interviews – Cast & Crew:
How many interviews do we really need? Sadly, to this reviewers disdain, we need all 16 of them. With; Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen, Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Harry Belafonte, Laurence Fishburne, William H. Macy, Sharon Stone, Helen Hunt, Elijah Wood, Lindsay Lohan, Freddy Rodriguez, Nick Cannon, Joy Bryant, Mary- I wish you weren’t so depressingly hot- Elizabeth Winstead and ‘Pump up the Volume’ star Christian Slater. All actors speak with passion on their aspect or take on the film. Seen from many different angles and takes on the structure of the film. The interviews do prove to be a valuable piece and serve as a constructed and well thought-out featurette. Recommended. (28 mins)

Also included: Theatrical Trailers.
Rating: 5/10

Overall:
‘Bobby’ may not have been what everyone expected or turned out to be all that Emilio Estevez set out to accomplish, but it succeeds more often than it fails. A unique and crafted picture in every right. With a politically charged overtone and an intelligent collection of background stories all coming together to share an American catastrophe. And in the end, not everyone might have been able to see, but all felt the shock. The film is beautiful and tragic. No matter however you view the film, the Blu-ray is a marvel and is sure to impress. Highly recommended.
Rating: 8/10