Essentially three hours (plus) of Oliver Stone presenting a conspiracy theory to the audience surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, JFK is ambitious, controversial, fascinating, exhausting, well argued and, perhaps most importantly, convincing. Part documentary, part conspiracy thriller, part courtroom drama, it blends myth with reality in a persuasive manner, while Stone’s trademark style (rapid editing, monochromatic flashbacks, old news footage) adds to the overall effect. Okay, so it’s undoubtedly overlong (your bum won’t thank you for watching), but for the most part Stone offers absorbing viewing. All-American specialist Kevin Costner is the perfect man to lead the line as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, while there’s A-grade support from the likes of Joe Pesci, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Michael Rooker, Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek and, in one of the film’s stand-out scenes, Donald Sutherland.
