The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Niels Mueller

Writers:

Kevin Kennedy (written by)
Niels Mueller (written by)

Release Date:

22 October 2004 (Greece)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

The mad story of a true man.

Plot:

Based on real life events, Assassination is set in 1974 and centers on a businessman who decides to take extreme measures to achieve his American dream.

Plot Keywords:

Richard Nixon | Watergate | American Dream | Bank | Salesman

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Samuel J. Bicke
Naomi Watts	...	Marie Andersen Bicke
Don Cheadle	...	Bonny Simmons
Jack Thompson	...	Jack Jones
Brad William Henke	...	Martin Jones (as Brad Henke)
Nick Searcy	...	Tom Ford
Michael Wincott	...	Julius Bicke
Mykelti Williamson	...	Harold Mann
April Grace	...	Mae Simmons
Lily Knight	...	Receptionist
Jared Dorrance	...	Sammy Jr.
Jenna Milton	...	Ellen
Mariah Massa	...	Julie
Eileen Ryan	...	Marie's Mother
Derek Greene	...	Joey Simmons

MPAA:

Rated R for language and a scene of graphic violence. (also edited version)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA | Mexico

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut) | Germany:12 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:15A | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40689) | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

Anhelo Productions

Trivia:

Sean Penn was attached to this project for six years before they found the financing for it.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Julius Bicke is shown wearing a wedding ring. He is a fervently Orthodox Jew, and such Orthodox males do not wear wedding rings as a matter of religious principle.

Quotes:

Samuel Bicke: [softly] It's about money
[loudly]
Samuel Bicke: It's about money! It's about money, Dick! It's about mon-ey, Dick! It's about money.

Movie Connections:

Features "Let's Make a Deal" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Girl I Love You

Kudos to Mr. Mueller

A visceral and elegiac film impressively crafted by first time director Niels Mueller and an equally perspicuous screenplay, a collaborative effort by Neils Mueller and Kevin Kennedy. Another unforgettable performance by Sean Penn, as Samuel Byck, and a flawless performance by Jack Thomson's, as Jack Jones, that is worthy of all movie awards.

Samuel Byck (Sean Penn), an office furniture salesman during the Nixon era, found solace by chronicling his tribulations on tapes and eventually mailing them to Leonard Bernstein for compassion. The film, which was based on these tapes, re-examines the social plagues that forever haunt us - the socioeconomic and political quasi-religious dogmas that are inflicted upon us. At the end we realize that we are Sam Beck's 'Mr. Bernstein' left with the choice to redeem him or not.

This is the best film I've seen so far this year.