THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON, by director Niels Mueller, is a riveting mix of DEATH OF A SALESMAN and JFK. Although inspired by a true story about an assassination attempt that was barely reported at the time, the movie is more about the small story of an awkward loner named Samuel Bicke (Sean Penn in another Oscar worthy performance) who sees his life spiraling out of control. A perennial loser, Sam has a wife, Marie (Naomi Watts), and three kids, but Marie wants nothing to do with him, so she has instigated divorce proceedings which are close to being finalized.
The film successfully walks a fine line by helping us to understand Sam's troubled life without trying to manipulate us into condoning his actions through misplaced sympathy for his self-made situation. Although the movie begins and ends with Sam's thwarted attempt to kill President Nixon, most of the movie is more DEATH OF A SALESMAN than JFK, as we observe Sam failing miserably in his new job as an office furniture salesman. Sam sees the American dream as being just beyond his reach because "they" are always thwarting his ambitions. The latest in a string of they's is the Small Business Administration, who might not give him a loan for his idea of an automobile tire company operated out of an old school bus. No matter how obnoxious and pushy he becomes, he can't get the government to review his application in less than the standard eight-to-ten weeks.
Sam supports the Black Panthers since they too are fighting against the system. Although the Panthers take his money, they are bemused by his suggestion of changing their name to the Zebras in order to recruit like-minded whites to the Panthers' cause.
All of the acting is dead-on, including the key supporting roles of Don Cheadle as Sam's friend and potential partner, and Jack Thompson as Sam's furniture store boss, who sees hard work and motivational books as the sure way to success. But the only serious competition to Penn's fine work on the movie comes from Watt's small but crucial role as the wife who is eager to be Sam's ex and who has long since given up on him. Marie is a cocktail waitress who is happy to don short skirts or do whatever it takes to support her family.
Sam, on the other hand, is obsessed with the idea that selling is akin to lying, which he refuses to do. The irony is that Sam is a pack of lies, telling himself and others how well he is doing in life, while, in reality, he just isn't making it. Not only is he not the top salesman at his company, as he claims to be, but he is on the bottom of the charts, with the next guy above him selling an order of magnitude more.
The director, who co-wrote the film with Kevin Kennedy, was at our screening. He said that he was working on a completely fictional film about an LBJ assassination attempt when he came upon the true story of Samuel Bicke, which was very similar to his LBJ draft. He updated the movie by a decade, moving the story from 1964 to 1974, and changed the focus just a bit, but the movie isn't a political picture, even if Nixon isn't exactly our most popular president. The movie gives great insights into the mind of a man who doesn't possess the requisite social and entrepreneurial skills to make it in the world and who blames society, as personified by the television images coming into his living room, as the source of his problems. Reactions to the story are likely to range from "There but for the grace of God go I" to shock at how easily a man can become deranged and commit horrible acts.
THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON runs 1:35. It is rated R for "language and a scene of graphic violence" and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film is playing now in parts of Europe. It opens in limited release in the United States on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 and opens in wide release the following month. The movie was shown recently at the Camera Cinema Club (http://www.cameracinemas.com) of Campbell and San Jose with the director present for some great Q&A.
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