[10]

It doesn't matter whether you think Oswald acted alone or not. Oliver Stone's JFK is stunning in its craftsmanship and enthralling in its narrative construction. If you're only casually familiar with the people and events surrounding Kennedy's assassination and the conspiracy theories about it, brace yourself for a fast-paced, provocative, emotionally compelling story that is sure to make you drop your jaw and raise your eyebrows.

Kevin Costner almost gives a real, bona-fide performance for a change (one of his best ever, if it weren’t for the tricky accent), and he’s surrounded by a who’s-who of Hollywood, all at the top of their game in a myriad of diverse parts: Joe Pesci, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and John Candy among them. Sutherland, in particular, deserves special mention. He single-handedly elevates the art of exposition to a new high in his “Deep Throat” role.

What is most impressive about JFK, however, is its masterful, Oscar-winning editing. The film constantly jumps between settings and through time, often inter-cutting people’s recollections and news footage, all while juggling a variety of different film stocks and mediums. The film is three-hours long, but it races along at breakneck speed, dense with information, tense and hypnotic — you can’t stop watching it. Robert Richardson also won an Oscar for his cinematography. The film was nominated for best picture, director, adapted screenplay, score (a soulful and exciting mix from John Williams), sound, and best supporting actor (Tommy Lee Jones).