Thirteen Days (2000)

It's October, 1962, the Cuban missile crisis. Photos from the U-2 spy plane show possible nuclear missiles on Cuban soil. This sets off high level panic that almost ends with WWIII. The movie centers on the Special Assistant to the President, Kenny O'Donnell (Kevin Costner). The push from the military is for a full invasion of Cuba. However, the Kennedy brothers and Kenny push back.This is more like a brilliant stage play done with so much intensity that the audience is right there in the room. There are flashes of newsreels, CGI, and other footage to fill out the movie with the outside world. It is very much a political thriller inside the President's inner circle. It is tense despite the well known ending and event highlights. The use of Costner as a side character pushed out to be the lead is brilliant. It allows the best (but lesser known) actors in some of the most iconic roles around. Surprisingly, there are also flashes of humor. The acting is amazing. This is one of the best movies about those thirteen days.

There are two major aspects of this movie that I reviled: 1.) It is pure propaganda, just for the sake of creating "good guys and bad guys". I am surprised that Hollywood, in the year 2000, produced such a re-visitation of a 1950's way of thinking. The movie did not, for one second, admit that the U.S. had medium range nuclear missiles in W. Germany, aimed at Russia and had a similar strike time reaction-window as that which had the U.S. government tearing their hair out and running around like sissies. How do we think the Russians must have felt?! Now, today, the U.S. missiles are in Poland... 500 miles closer to Russia!! This movie is so one-sided that I would have thought it was manufactured by the Department of Defense or the U.S. Marines. It is abyssymal and inexcuseable. The second facet of Thirteen Days that I found unacceptable (and made it unwatchable, for me)was Kevin Costner's crazy, warped, overdone accent. Now, I was born and raised in Boston. I spent the first 50 years of my life there, beginning in 1957. I have never hear anyone speak like Costner did in this picture. It is as though he was trying to do "President Kennedy times two". If I were the person playing JFK in the picture, I would have turned to Kostner at one point and said, "Why are you talking like that? Are you trying to mock me?" Evidentally, Kostner figured he was the star of the movie and did everything he could to attract attention to himself. honestly, his "accent" is the biggest direction gaffe I have ever seen in a movie. It was just insane.

The years between 1960-70 holds great importance to the US. Most of the revolutions and changes that were yet to come happened during this time period. Assassinations of Leaders like Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John F Kennedy,JFK and RFK. I am an Indian(Asia) have seen several movies that deals or just scrapes with the JFK issue but none of the movies showed how good this man was or his brother. Bobby(movie) even though everyone says he is a fine man but no reels on the reality. This movie also shows how JFK & RFK wanted peace more than anything and how some of the generals or high officials disliked their NEED FOR PEACE as WEAKNESS. I say it takes a lot of courage to stand up to what you believe and fight for peace rather than go into war and ruin others life when the main guys who initiated this remains hidden in a thick fortress of shield. It takes a lot of courage and good soul to think about the farewell of millions of countrymen over power and show offs of STRENGTH. I think we need more of these of men than those who think peace is for weaker. JFK held the position in the most controversial and difficult times for USA. All the actors did a marvelous job and I personally think Kevin is a guy who cherishes and loves JFK and Bobby. As he did JFK related movies. All in all politics is shown at its best.

October 1962.The American Embassy,Grosvenor Square,London.Half a dozen Met cops,rushed for some unfathomable reason from their East London nick are drinking coffee in the underground car park which is rapidly filling with gun - toting U.S.Marines.Our sergeant.a grizzled vet who had seen service with the Welsh Guards in what he called "The Big One" suggested to a nervous - looking grunt that his President might be over - reacting to a typical piece of Kruschevian provocation. "What would Macmillan do if the reds put their missiles in Ireland?"was the response.Taff thought for a moment then said,"Try and set the buggers off,probably".The marine snorted."The Big Red Dog is digging in our backyard".He threw his coffee cup into a bin and went to join his mates who were getting in position to repel a couple of dozen "Hands off Cuba" demonstrators in case they were stupid enough to charge the Embassy. I was reminded of this brief encounter when I watched "13 Days" and the placement of Soviet Missiles in Cuba was referred to in the exact same terms in the film. Fortunately for all of us Mr Kruschev was exercising his penchant for brinksmanship and President Kennedy earned his respect by calling his bluff.There was a deal to be done and both men took advantage of the opportunity. In "13 Days" we see how Kennedy had the moral strength to beat down the military who were set on "First Strike" as the preferred option. In scenes thick with testosterone he defies this baying pack and listens to the voice of reason. Having lived through this event,the details are less of a revelation to me,but that does not detract from the efficacy of the film. The weak point is Mr K.Costner who not only has a very poor accent but also wears his underpants beneath his pyjamas. Just over a year later I was back at the Embassy in the turmoil caused by Kennedy's assassination and a few years further on fought the mob in Grosvenor Square during the "October Revolution".I got a nasty kick on the shin.A small price to pay for supporting our close friends and allies,in my book.