LBJ

From Rob Reiner comes the incredibly compelling political thriller LBJ. The story follows Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in the mist of the Kennedy assassination as he’s swept into the presidency and has to decide how to proceed with Kennedy’s social agenda and what kind of president he wants to be. Starring Woody Harrelson, Jeffrey Donovan, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, the film has an impressive cast that delivers some really good performances. And, the script is especially well-written and uses flashbacks to cover Johnson’s political career and history with the Kennedys. However, it kind of skirts around the Vietnam War, focusing instead on Johnson as the workhorse who turned Kennedy’s dream into a reality with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There’s a rose-colored tint to LBJ, but it’s still a fascinating look at the man who shepherded the country through an extraordinary crisis.

A well made movie that is driven by the performance of Harrelson. The story is historical fact, there are no surprising twist and turns. But I am missing a bit of emotion here. Most of the time it feels rather flat. And I am not a fan of the non-linear timeline throughout most parts of the movie.