Bobby (2006)

I knew that this film covering the hours leading to Bobby Kennedy's assassination on the California Primary Day in 1968 has long been a dream project for actor-director Emilio Estevez, but I wasn't expecting too much considering some of his earlier dire directing efforts.  I must admit that I was more than pleasantly surprised. 

Working with an ensemble of some twenty-odd lead actors, most of whom were more than familiar faces, he creates a series of interlocking stories amongst the staff and guests at the Ambassador Hotel which served as Kennedy's campaign headquarters.  While some of these tales are more gripping than others, they all contribute to the hustle and bustle of the day.  The movie is not quite on the level of a Robert Altman ensemble flick, but it's a damn good try.  Some of the actors who gave surprisingly better performances than I would have expected were Demi Moore as an addicted diva, Sharon Stone as the hotel's hairdresser, Ashton Kutcher as a hippy drug dealer, and Freddy Rodriguez as one of the Mexican kitchen staff (his performance alone was, I thought, worth the price of admission).  It was also lovely to see a very elderly Harry Belafonte back on the screen as he visited with old friend and ex-hotel manager Anthony Hopkins.

Estevez made the wise decision of only using stock newsreel footage to show the charismatic Kennedy, but he also made excellent use of his voice; the audio of his outlining his hopes for the future over the shocked reactions to the shooting made for a very moving and effective finale.  I must confess that I was never aware that Kennedy was not the only victim that evening and that some of the characters that we had come to know were also unwary targets.  By and large, I think Estevez can feel proud that he was able to fulfill his dream so effectively.

Tags: Bobby, Emilio Estevez, ensemble casts