Death of a President (2006)

Recap: A false documentary about the events leading up to and afterwards the (fictitious) assassination of the president G W Bush.Comments: This is a very well made docudrama or mockumentary, if you like. But to make everything clear, it is not mocking or funny in any way. Instead it is very serious, and very much like an investigating documentary produced by a major network, all the way to the notes in the end credits. It is a mix of interviews, archive footage and "live" coverage from the event and feeds from surveillance cameras. The result is that it feels like you watch a documentary from an event that actually happened (even though you know it haven't), in other words, it is very plausible.And that raises an interesting question, almost like a sidetrack. It really exposes the power that media has, if something so blatantly false can be made so believable.It is also an interesting comment on our real world and society and what has developed since 9/11. Patriot Act is an integral part (and hence other security measures introduced) and so is the tension in our society between groups with different beliefs.In all it is a very effective comment of our own society, and a very touching one. I made sure not to miss a moment, and it was very entertaining, even though it was a "documentary", and a false one at that.I am impressed.8/10

During my Staff Duty this week I was able to watch Death of a President. This movie is shown in a "documentary" style concerning the events surrounding the assassination of Pres. George W. Bush. So far, the movie has shown in Toronto Film Fest and on BBC. Some reason US companies have shied from distributing it. Which is odd considering most of the anti-American junk they release.On to the movie: Spoilers galore, but then again you already know where this is going. The movie is shown with actual news flashes mixed in with fake news bulletins and interviews to trace a path from the time Bush lands in Chicago to the shooting to the follow-up investigation. Cutting to the chase, Pres. Cheney blames an Arab man who works in the same building in which the shooter was located. This "average" man who happens to be Arab just happened to train with Al Qeada in 2001, a character playing a Washington Post reporter called this just a misfortunate vacation spot. Which considering the Post I'm willing to assume that this guy was not an actor but an actual Post reporter.The true shooter, the director of this "documentary" discovers is a black Gulf War vet that lost a son in Iraq and had another develop a drug addition upon returning. Showing the true incompetence of the Fed Govt at times, this shooter leaves the area, drives out in the country and kills himself, but not before leaving his son a suicide note, which the Feds never take serious. Which is odd since high school kids posting threats to the Pres on Myspace get a call from the Secret Service.The movie was interesting to say the least. It had elements of JFK, Fahrenheit 9/11, Manchurian Candidate, and Forrest Gump all rolled into one. Half my brain felt sorry for the President being shot then the other remembered this is a liberal "hit" piece on all things Bush. Im just surprised the 2000 Florida recount wasn't thrown in there just for kicks. As much as I was ready to turn it off, I felt compelled to continue watching because I remember where I was when Bush was shot, no wait, I was watching it then. Anyways, in a step for movie making they can make anything possible, and any moral restrictions are eliminated. I'd like to see if a movie where President Hillary Clinton is assassinated would be made. In the end, I'd think not. For this movie is the ultimate liberal wet dream and so amazingly over the top in heavy handedness it comes across as High School creative writing assignment.

In what seems to be a dimly conceived fantasy of a disgruntled voter, Death of a President relies on the idea of an assassination of a unpopular president being a good film. I thought the concept was in poor taste, and the plot was predictable. Although the actors deserve some credit for playing their parts well, I didn't feel it was enough. It felt so canned, that I could almost recite the lines before they were said. When compared to films like JFK by Oliver Stone, Death of a President seems almost juvenile and amateurish. This is one of the few films that I can remember feeling almost insulted by its content. Unless you are extremely open to political speculation, and are into assassination films, I would stay away from this one.

I heard of the movie last year and was of course quite curious about it and while on vacation in June in SanFrancisco found it in a video store and when I came back to purchase it the next day it was already gone.And after searching in my neighborhood for it was able to find it and was able to get a copy of it and watched it today.And it was excellent because it looked so real that it was hard to believe that none of it was true.And the way the real footage of President Bush and VicePresident Cheney was put in the story made it all more believable. And since it was cast with unknown actors all of whom did excellent jobs in their roles that helped to make it even more believable.And in my humble opinion I think that this movie should be shown uncut on TV so that more people should be able to see it.