‘JFK’ raises serious questions about John F. Kennedy’s death

JFK (1991)

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

The best American political films make you think, challenge you and present old information in a new light – which is exactly what Oliver Stone’s 1991 movie “JFK” does.

Stone is a sometimes heavy-handed, preachy director who often leaves audiences feeling like they’ve been hit over the head with a ton of bricks. But in “JFK,” Stone found the perfect vehicle to channel his film making style. “JFK” is his finest motion picture and the screen’s best political film.

Kevin Costner stars as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, the only person to bring criminal charges related to Kennedy’s assassination. Although Garrison failed to win a conviction in his case, his lengthy investigation allows Stone to revisit a pivotal point in U.S. history.

Garrison, a loose cannon in New Orleans politics, was ridiculed by the many people who thought his efforts were an embarrassing waste of time. Stone, though, uses the Garrison investigation to examine any and every conspiracy theory about Kennedy’s death.

Top Five Week continues at Sneak Prevue, and today I look at the Top Five Political films. “JFK” leads the list at No. 1.

Lumet’s last great film: ‘Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead’

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

BEFORE THE DEVIL
KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD (2007)

Few American film makers can match the quality and breadth of  morally complex dramas that make up the long list of motion pictures Sidney Lumet helmed for the big screen.

By the time Lumet died April 9 at age 86, he left a legacy that included such classics as the courtroom drama “12 Angry Men,” the doomsday thriller “Fail Safe” and crime dramas “Serpico” and “Prince of the City.”

His films are funny, edgy and deep. His best are about people so committed to and, in many instances, obsessed with a specific issue or cause that they are unaware or simply don’t care how their decisions and actions affect others.

It’s especially bittersweet that Lumet’s last film, “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” in 2007, hit the screen 50 years after his first, “12 Angry Men.” Not surprisingly, “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” ranks among his best.