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From Amazon.co.uk
In the final quarter or so of Bobby, writer-director-actor Emilio Estevez finally starts tightening his grip on the viewer as we head inexorably toward the film's climax: the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in a Los Angeles hotel kitchen. In the course of these scenes--among them Kennedy's acceptance speech after winning the California Democratic presidential primary (the senator is seen only in file footage), his death at the hands of gunman Sirhan Sirhan, and the chaos and despair that ensued--Estevez steadily ratchets up the sense of tension and dread. Knowing exactly what's coming, while the characters onscreen don't, is excruciating, as is our grief at hearing RFK's own words, so eloquent, so hopeful and inspiring, as we watch the horrible events unfold and wonder what might have been (sure it's manipulative--but it works). But the rest of Bobby isn't nearly as compelling. Nor is it really about Kennedy, despite its obvious adulation of the man whom many thought would defeat Richard Nixon in the '68 general election. In the tradition of, say, an Irwin Allen disaster flick, we're invited into the lives of nearly two dozen folks, most of them at least partly fictional, who were at the Ambassador Hotel that June day, including guests, staff (kitchen workers, switchboard operators, management, etc.), campaign workers, reporters, and more.
There are lots of movie stars in the cast, and some of them (Sharon Stone, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy) are very good. But caring about the quotidian minutiae of these people's existences is a chore, and Estevez crams so many issues into his story (the Vietnam war, drugs, alcoholism, voting irregularities, adultery, racism, immigration, communism... even L.A. Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale's streak of consecutive shutouts) and tries so obviously to establish parallels between then and now that too much of the movie feels gratuitous and forced. A warts-and-all film about Robert Kennedy's extraordinary life and career would be welcome. Unfortunately Bobby isn't it. --Sam Graham
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Robert F. Kennedy was adored by the masses when he won the primary for the Democratic party, on his way to becoming the president. Then, like his presidential brother, he was gunned down in public. (That was WAY before I was born, so much of what I know comes from books)
Emilio Estevez doesn't exactly focus on that in "Bobby." Instead, he creates an elaborate "Grand Hotel"-style plot, focusing on the people who surrounded Kennedy on the last day of his life. The movie is a little scattered throughout the first parts, but Estevez yanks it together in time for the inevitable, tragic denouement.
The entire movie takes place on one day: June 4, 1968. The place: Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel. And there's as much drama out of the campaign as in it: For example, the manager (William H. Macy) is cheating on his smart beautician wife (Sharon Stone) with the switchboard girl (Heather Graham), but takes some time out to fire a racist supervisor (Christian Slater) because the guy won't let the black and Latin employees vote.
The doorman (Anthony Hopkins) and his pal (Harry Belafonte) play chess and talk. A lounge singer (Demi Moore) is struggling with alcoholism, a young girl (Lindsay Lohan) is marrying a guy she doesn't love (Elijah Wood) to keep him from going to Vietnam, and campaign workers drop acid. Their stories are only loosely intwertwined -- until Sirhan Sirhan arrives.
Estevez has created a movie that Tries To Have It All. It tackles racism, war, love, voting, women's rights, and the adored icons of an era. It also stars just about every kind of actor: veterans, Bratpackers, ex-sexpots, MTV stars, party girls and accomplished young actors.... Read more ›
Emilio Estevez doesn't exactly focus on that in "Bobby." Instead, he creates an elaborate "Grand Hotel"-style plot, focusing on the people who surrounded Kennedy on the last day of his life. The movie is a little scattered throughout the first parts, but Estevez yanks it together in time for the inevitable, tragic denouement.
The entire movie takes place on one day: June 4, 1968. The place: Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel. And there's as much drama out of the campaign as in it: For example, the manager (William H. Macy) is cheating on his smart beautician wife (Sharon Stone) with the switchboard girl (Heather Graham), but takes some time out to fire a racist supervisor (Christian Slater) because the guy won't let the black and Latin employees vote.
The doorman (Anthony Hopkins) and his pal (Harry Belafonte) play chess and talk. A lounge singer (Demi Moore) is struggling with alcoholism, a young girl (Lindsay Lohan) is marrying a guy she doesn't love (Elijah Wood) to keep him from going to Vietnam, and campaign workers drop acid. Their stories are only loosely intwertwined -- until Sirhan Sirhan arrives.
Estevez has created a movie that Tries To Have It All. It tackles racism, war, love, voting, women's rights, and the adored icons of an era. It also stars just about every kind of actor: veterans, Bratpackers, ex-sexpots, MTV stars, party girls and accomplished young actors.... Read more ›
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Nostromo
Format:DVD
This is a highly interesting film, one which combines the multi strand narrative technique recently seen in Magnolia ans Crash and places it in and around the events leading up to the assassination of Robert Kennedy. The only time we see the eponymous Bobby Kennedy is in newsreel footage of his presidential campaign. The film is about the events leading up to his death but it also more about other people, the key players such as his campaign managers and those with minor roles such as the kitchen staff at the Ambassador Hotel. Most of the events are seen through the eyes of these characters, all played with remarkable skill by an array of fine actors including Helen Hunt, Anthony Hopkins, Estevez himself and Laurence Fishburne.
The film is flawed, its flow is a little clunky at times but the power is there and the tension leading up to the assassination is very real and shows the promise and skill of the novice director Estevez.
The film is flawed, its flow is a little clunky at times but the power is there and the tension leading up to the assassination is very real and shows the promise and skill of the novice director Estevez.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Matty
Format:DVD
Emilio Estevez doesn't exactly have a great track record as a director (ie Men At Work), but he shows great subtlety and a deft touch here with a magnificent all star cast. The story centres around the lives of 22 characters on the day of the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. Estevez follows the lives of the residents and employees of the Ambassador Hotel as their seemingly insignificant lives get ready to change dramatically as they witness the shooting by Sirhan Sirhan. At first it might seem that there are one or two too many plots going on, because some (such as the Anyony Hopkins / Harry Belafonte storyline) don't really have much relevance to the story, but that's the whole point. Estevez is trying to establish the normality of the day in the build up to the tragic events. When he does get to the assassination it's handled extremely well and the desperation of it all is captured perfectly and accompanied by the song Never Gonna Break My Faith.
There are some great performances from the cast, particularly Martin Sheen, Freddy Rodriguez, Laurence Fishburne, Christian Slater, Helen Hunt, Sharon Stone, Joshua Jackson, Shia Labeouf and Demi Moore. All top actors who one would guess did this for the love of it rather than the paycheck. As someone who didn't know all that much about the Bobby Kennedy murder I found this quite moving and it certainly seemed to create the mood of despair after the shooting extremely well.
All in all a pleasing and fairly subtle movie.
There are some great performances from the cast, particularly Martin Sheen, Freddy Rodriguez, Laurence Fishburne, Christian Slater, Helen Hunt, Sharon Stone, Joshua Jackson, Shia Labeouf and Demi Moore. All top actors who one would guess did this for the love of it rather than the paycheck. As someone who didn't know all that much about the Bobby Kennedy murder I found this quite moving and it certainly seemed to create the mood of despair after the shooting extremely well.
All in all a pleasing and fairly subtle movie.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Jay
Format:DVD
Stellar cast...Perhaps the only time you will see so many stars in one movie;
The screenplay is a bit similar (a bit...) to Love Actually which was also a multistarrer.Several stories that intertwine at the end (albeit less than Love Actually).Here the common factor is the imminent presence of Bobby 'RFK' Kennedy culminating in his unfortunate death. This is a very gripping film and sometimes you tend to forget that it is about RFK's last hours such is the vast characterization.
Standouts include Sharon Stone (who has a a chance at a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination if the Academy can overlook Basic Instinct 2), Nick Cannon as a young Black-American working on the campaign, and Freddy Rodriguez as a young Latino working in the kitchen. The later two, combined with Lindsey Lohan as a woman marrying to save a man's life, serve as the heart of the movie and bring a well-balanced view of many of the hot issues of the day.
The movie has an incredible, emotional climax that is enhanced by an actual speech of Bobby Kennedy. The audio and visual clips of Kennedy serve as snapshots into his life and the work he did during his short time in the public eye. You can read whatever you want to into the political agenda of the movie, but in the end this movie is a tribute to Robert F. Kennedy and his time.
The screenplay is a bit similar (a bit...) to Love Actually which was also a multistarrer.Several stories that intertwine at the end (albeit less than Love Actually).Here the common factor is the imminent presence of Bobby 'RFK' Kennedy culminating in his unfortunate death. This is a very gripping film and sometimes you tend to forget that it is about RFK's last hours such is the vast characterization.
Standouts include Sharon Stone (who has a a chance at a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination if the Academy can overlook Basic Instinct 2), Nick Cannon as a young Black-American working on the campaign, and Freddy Rodriguez as a young Latino working in the kitchen. The later two, combined with Lindsey Lohan as a woman marrying to save a man's life, serve as the heart of the movie and bring a well-balanced view of many of the hot issues of the day.
The movie has an incredible, emotional climax that is enhanced by an actual speech of Bobby Kennedy. The audio and visual clips of Kennedy serve as snapshots into his life and the work he did during his short time in the public eye. You can read whatever you want to into the political agenda of the movie, but in the end this movie is a tribute to Robert F. Kennedy and his time.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
...interesting
A good film, although not really about RFK's assisination.
It draws together the stories of several people all staying, working or connected to the (now sadly demolished)... Read more
It draws together the stories of several people all staying, working or connected to the (now sadly demolished)... Read more
Published 7 days ago by SJ
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I've always been fascinated about JFK and RFK. I bought this as there were a lot of famous names in it although now, I'm not surprised that I'd never heard of it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by CarlyW
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
Great cast, brilliant movie and well worth the watch. (I am not American either so am not biased ;-) Very clever
Published 21 months ago by Gj Keast
4.0 out of 5 stars
Too entertaining and political
Such a film is imprinted with nostalgia and a tremendous human lesson in history.
When all these events were happening all over the world in Czechoslovakia, France,... Read more
When all these events were happening all over the world in Czechoslovakia, France,... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Jacques COULARDEAU
1.0 out of 5 stars
Waste of Time
I really do not know why this film is called 'Bobby'! Apart from the odd tv clip where Bobby Kennedy is seen to be speaking, the whole thing is about a group of oddballs in a hotel... Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2011 by D. R. Blott
3.0 out of 5 stars
Special features
I feel I would have enjoyed this film more if I had watched the special features first. I was expecting it to be more about Bobby than about that period of time. Read more
Published on 10 Jun 2011 by Jan Bliss
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING. MUST SEE. ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THIS GENERATION
why do i like this film?....the plot is fantastic. its hard to find films that take real history and convey it in an understandable way, which leaves viewers gripping there seat... Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2010 by Danielle Hunt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bobby
Bobby [2006]A very thoughtful and moving look at the way things were and what might have been. Don't miss it.
Published on 16 Feb 2009 by Mrs. R. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best film in years
I was worried that this would be a difficult watch but, though I did cry at the end, it was entertaining, moving, brilliant. Read more
Published on 2 Dec 2008 by Kate Gardner
3.0 out of 5 stars
The greatest blow to a progressive America
After watching Bobby for knocking on an hour you could be forgiven for thinking you are watching a soap opera -a classy extremely well cast soap opera mind- but a soap opera none... Read more
Published on 5 Oct 2008 by russell clarke
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