Bobby (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
First-time director Emilio Estevez has weaved the tangled web that is called 'Bobby'. This historical drama centers on the twenty some-odd people who stay at the Ambassador Hotel where/when Senator Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated. There are several scenes with 'Bobby' in them, but the crux of the plot resides in the supporting characters, their lives, & how they are tied into the fate that eclipses Mr. Kennedy at the hands of one, Sirhan Sirhan. There are moments to love in 'Bobby', there are moments that stir nostalgia, but there are also moments of disappointment & disjointedness.
We meet 2 elderly doormen who play chess in The Ambassador's lobby (Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte). We meet Diane (a surprising Lindsay Lohan) who is marrying an acquaintance, William (Elijah Wood), so that he doesn't have to go to Vietnam. We meet a racist kitchen master (Christian Slater). And we meet the man who fires him, the hotel manager (William H. Macy). He's married to the hotel's salonist (Sharon Stone); but is sleeping with a hotel switchboard operator (Heather Graham). Also along for this ride is a loyal, meek husband (Emilio Estevez) & his wife, an alcoholic lounge singer (Demi Moore). We have a bored and boring middle-aged couple, one is depressed (Martin Sheen) and one is materialistic (Helen Hunt). We have the head chef (Lawrence Fishburne) & his minion, Jose (Freddie Rodriguez). We have an eager, young Czech journalist (Svetlana Metkina). And rounding out our players are some political campaigners (Joshua Jackson, Nick Cannon, Shia Lebouf, Brian Geraghty). While trying to kill time 'til Election Day is over, some of them resort to getting stoned and/or getting trippy on acid provided by none other than Fisher (Ashton Kutcher).
Had enough? I did. And had it not been for a fantastic last 10 minutes, I think my head would have fallen off from trying to keep steady with the various guests of the hotel. Eh, that's selling it a bit short. I find several of the side stories to be interesting and actually longed to know more about many of the characters. But Estevez jams way too many people in. I love how he incorporates reel footage & dramatizations of Robert F. Kennedy throughout the film. I perked up in my seat and became enraptured in whatever statement RFK was making. And while most of the supporting characters touch upon RFK's ideals & what they mean to 'them' ... the only real thing that ties most of them together is that they are in close proximity and/or injured at the fateful assassination site.
Most of the performances are stellar. However, Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte, Demi Moore, & Emilio Estevez are only around to create more confusion & chew up scenery (stealing other character's thunder). We don't even get to hear Demi Moore sing! There's no need to have had these people in this story. I want to know more about the young bride & groom. I want to know more about Nick Cannon's character. He's already bereft about recently losing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., now he has to face the nightmare of losing his next hero, Bobby. I want to see William H. Macy's reaction to finding out that his wife (Stone) knows of the affair. And I find it interesting how in 1968, the head chef (Fishburne) teaches Jose (Rodriguez) that in order to get a 'nod' from the white folk, you have to make them feel more privileged than they already are; fascinating. Why aren't they in this thing more so?
I understand that RFK is not the meat & potatoes of the film. The film is about these characters. I would like to know a bit more about him, but that's a different story. Estevez does do a great job at integrating meaningful snippets of the man & his vision (most notably in the 'Menace of Mindless Violence' speech near the end). Any scene where original reel footage of RFK is blended with a fictional scene is handled beautifully.
I actually would have liked 'Bobby' more if it had been a tad bit longer & trimmed some excess characters/scenes to make way for more interesting developments, dialogue, & closure. We are given barely any breathing room to catch the full effect of each character. This makes most characters fairly inconsequential; there are barely 'any' character arcs. And an epilogue would have been fitting. Instead, it transitions from shocking climax to almost immediate end credits! I am very close to loving this movie, but something is missing in its' overall execution. The costumes, make-up, mood, comedic moments, editing, & talent is there; I respect what Estevez has done. He presents everything on a huge, savory platter ... but not everything is tasty.
We meet 2 elderly doormen who play chess in The Ambassador's lobby (Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte). We meet Diane (a surprising Lindsay Lohan) who is marrying an acquaintance, William (Elijah Wood), so that he doesn't have to go to Vietnam. We meet a racist kitchen master (Christian Slater). And we meet the man who fires him, the hotel manager (William H. Macy). He's married to the hotel's salonist (Sharon Stone); but is sleeping with a hotel switchboard operator (Heather Graham). Also along for this ride is a loyal, meek husband (Emilio Estevez) & his wife, an alcoholic lounge singer (Demi Moore). We have a bored and boring middle-aged couple, one is depressed (Martin Sheen) and one is materialistic (Helen Hunt). We have the head chef (Lawrence Fishburne) & his minion, Jose (Freddie Rodriguez). We have an eager, young Czech journalist (Svetlana Metkina). And rounding out our players are some political campaigners (Joshua Jackson, Nick Cannon, Shia Lebouf, Brian Geraghty). While trying to kill time 'til Election Day is over, some of them resort to getting stoned and/or getting trippy on acid provided by none other than Fisher (Ashton Kutcher).
Had enough? I did. And had it not been for a fantastic last 10 minutes, I think my head would have fallen off from trying to keep steady with the various guests of the hotel. Eh, that's selling it a bit short. I find several of the side stories to be interesting and actually longed to know more about many of the characters. But Estevez jams way too many people in. I love how he incorporates reel footage & dramatizations of Robert F. Kennedy throughout the film. I perked up in my seat and became enraptured in whatever statement RFK was making. And while most of the supporting characters touch upon RFK's ideals & what they mean to 'them' ... the only real thing that ties most of them together is that they are in close proximity and/or injured at the fateful assassination site.
Most of the performances are stellar. However, Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte, Demi Moore, & Emilio Estevez are only around to create more confusion & chew up scenery (stealing other character's thunder). We don't even get to hear Demi Moore sing! There's no need to have had these people in this story. I want to know more about the young bride & groom. I want to know more about Nick Cannon's character. He's already bereft about recently losing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., now he has to face the nightmare of losing his next hero, Bobby. I want to see William H. Macy's reaction to finding out that his wife (Stone) knows of the affair. And I find it interesting how in 1968, the head chef (Fishburne) teaches Jose (Rodriguez) that in order to get a 'nod' from the white folk, you have to make them feel more privileged than they already are; fascinating. Why aren't they in this thing more so?
I understand that RFK is not the meat & potatoes of the film. The film is about these characters. I would like to know a bit more about him, but that's a different story. Estevez does do a great job at integrating meaningful snippets of the man & his vision (most notably in the 'Menace of Mindless Violence' speech near the end). Any scene where original reel footage of RFK is blended with a fictional scene is handled beautifully.
I actually would have liked 'Bobby' more if it had been a tad bit longer & trimmed some excess characters/scenes to make way for more interesting developments, dialogue, & closure. We are given barely any breathing room to catch the full effect of each character. This makes most characters fairly inconsequential; there are barely 'any' character arcs. And an epilogue would have been fitting. Instead, it transitions from shocking climax to almost immediate end credits! I am very close to loving this movie, but something is missing in its' overall execution. The costumes, make-up, mood, comedic moments, editing, & talent is there; I respect what Estevez has done. He presents everything on a huge, savory platter ... but not everything is tasty.