Movie Review: Death of a President

Director: Gabriel Range
Producing Studio: Universal Studios
Trailer
IGN.com review

I went into this film, not quite sure what to expect. I'd picked up the buzz about it from an article run on CBC.ca (the CBC.ca search server is down atm, will add the link later if I can.) during the Toronto Film Festival. The buzz/controversy of the film was generated since it involves the hypothetical assassination of a sitting president.

Just think about this for a second: This film depicts the assassination of President George W. Bush. I've lived in the US for the last four years, and I don't think I've even heard anyone even utter the idea of wishing Bush any ill will, they may complain, but no one's actually said I wish the guy wasn't around (in the corporeal sense).

The film is presented as a fictional documentary, something you might expect to see on the History Channel or Discovery, as we have seen in the wake of 9/11. The performances by the entirely unknown cast is completely believable, as is the mixture of real and fictional footage of the president, and rioters.

In spite of the fine performances, and the complete believability of the presentation, I felt that ultimately the film failed to deliver anything relevant or poignant worthy of the assassination of a sitting president. The only real shock in the film is the assassination of the president, the emotions it can draw out from you.

In spite of what you may think, this film was not an attack on the president, and actually casts him in a very favorable light. It was of course an attack on his policies and the discontent we have seen resonant across the country.

Personally, I wouldn't say that my political views come even close to being in alignment with those of the president, and it would seem, that we will find out in just over the next week whether this holds true for the rest of the country. Even though I don't agree with his policies, it ends there, I don't wish him as a man any ill will. He was duly elected by the people of the United States of America, and he is carrying out his duty as he best sees fit. For me, if as a film maker you are going to entertain the idea of assassinating Mr. Bush, you need to follow through on your delivery. The interviews, which follow several key players involved with the night in question and also the subsequent investigation follow a fairly predictable path, and lead to what is almost a foregone conclusion.

In the end, for all the buzz and shock this movie inspired, it failed to deliver. Wait for the DVD, add it to netflix somewhere near the bottom, and only if you get more than one movie a month.