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Visitors Review

gizoisle 2013-05-17 15:38:30

worth seeing

"Bobby"was agreat movie.It captured the wide range of emotions of thattragic,strange,amazing time.I was 23 when Bobby Kennedy was killed.1968 was a scary year.I remember exactly where i was and what i wasdoing when both Jack and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated.I have been toKennedy Island in the Solomon Islands where Jack and his crew swam toafter PT109 sank in WW11,it was an enlightening experience.Your movietakes me back to the 1960s.I saw Emilio Estevez on Craig Fergusons showand to hear how when he was alittle boy he met Robert Kennedy whilesitting on his fathers shoulders and shook his hand wasfascinating.Martin Sheen must have Emilio a lot about those times.Yourmovie had a haunting Quality.Being able to film in the Ambassador Hoteladded a nice touch.There must be a lot of ghosts in that old hotel.Demi Moore was fantastic and deserves an Acadamy Award.I loved herrendition of LOuie Louie.I wonder if young people will be able torelate to your movie,some will i am sure.I hope the movie gets therecognition it deserves.It was a great experience THANKS.

tex-42 2013-05-17 01:14:30

A movie that wants to be much more than it is

Bobby is a nice movie that is way too self important. The plot issimple, essentially it involves a number of people whose livesintersect at the Ambassador Hotel on the day RFK was shot after winningthe California primary.The problem here is that there is not much of a connection between thecharacters, as there are way too many of them, and the plots seem todrift around without much focus. The actors are all generallyexcellent, but you almost feel like there is no real reason to carewhat happens to them. For example, why is William H. Macy cheating onSharon Stone? Why are Helen Hunt and Martin Sheen married? Why do wecare about Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore? Heck, this is a movie called"Bobby" where RFK is merely an afterthought.

james cullen 2013-05-15 09:04:57

Like Viniger & Oil

It was a sad session to sit thru this sorely mix of soap opera andsemi-documentary. It just didn't work. A reasonably good premiseattempted but the one side floundered all too often. I have a hard timesaying this but "Bobby" deserved much better. Not to be forgotten...Rosie Greer was nowhere to be seen in this reenactment. Missing toowas the song that should have been...."Abraham, Martin, & John." Toomany times the story jumped from one soap to another and, frankly, thecharacters were little if at all interesting. On the up side, Fishburnand Rodrigez were worthy of merits with their true and vividinteraction. Lastly, Emilio Estavez needs to realize the magnitude ofthis historic event and possibly understand that he may have bit offmore than he could handle.

2013-05-15 03:26:45

Worth Seeing

I saw the movie "Bobby" last week and thought it was an incredibly powerful film. The movie focuses on around 20 people in and around the Ambassador Hotel the day that Robert Kennedy was shot there. The large cast never seems overwhelming. The characters are clear enough that we remember what they were doing the last time we saw them, but we never feel like they are merely one-dimensional. Emilio Estevez really hit the jackpot with his cast - they all are 100% committed to their roles and the audience simply gets lost in the era.The cast is phenomenal - the standouts include Sharon Stone, Nick Cannon as a young Black-American working on the campaign, and Freddy Rodriguez as a young Latino working in the kitchen. The later two, combined with Lindsey Lohan as a woman marrying to save a man's life, serve as the heart of the movie and bring a well-balanced view of many of the hot issues of the day.The movie has an incredible, emotional climax that is enhanced by an actual speech of Bobby Kennedy. The audio and visual clips of Kennedy serve as snapshots into his life and the work he did during his short time in the public eye. You can read whatever you want to into the political agenda of the movie, but in the end this movie is a tribute to Robert F. Kennedy and his time.

2013-05-14 04:50:36

good movie with excellent cast

Movie was for my daughter and she enjoyed it very much.

2013-05-14 01:35:38

AMERICA'S CRITIC

WOW,,,, WOW,, THIS MOVIE IS A SHOCKER!!!! ITS VERY INTENSE AND I LEARNED ALOT,, I GOT THIS ONE ON SALE AND WAS SO SURPRISED BY IT WORTH EVERY CENT I PAID FOR IT,, SO IF YOUR LOOKING AT A GOOD FILM TO WATCH THIS IS A GOOD ONE TO CHECK OUT,, ITS WAY BETTER THAN YOU THINK IT WILL BE!!

Brian Juergens 2013-04-07 21:38:50

Esteves's curious multi-strand film carries us to a quietly devastating conclusion.

sari47 2013-04-07 03:30:13

Why was Sirhan Sirhan's name not mentioned in this Movie

I saw Bobby yesterday and was outraged by several Historical omissionsand inaccuracies.I read several of the other reviews before I wrotethis one. Unless I did not read them carefully enough it seems clearthat I am the first to be troubled by the deemphasis of Sirhan Sirhanas the Assassin of RFK.I would like to examine why. I believe that the reasons fordeemphasizing the role of Sirhan is because discussing Sirhans motivesdo not jive with the political outlook of many of the people involvedin the film. Sirhan was a Palestinian who killed RFK because he wasincited by the fact that Senator Kennedy was clearly pro Israel.Kennedy campaigned in Jewish temples with a Yarmulke on his head. Thiswhipped Sirhan into a frenzy.So what are the possible motives for leaving this out of the movie evenat the end when other clear cut historical factors are stated such asthe date Kennedy died of gunshot wounds.I believe the it is likely that Emilio Estevez and other creators ofthe film are likely to have a post 9/11 hangup towards stigmatizingArabs as terrorists even in a case like this where it is clearly true.Sirhan Sirhan was clearly an Palestinian terrorist. Is it possible thatEstevez was also concerned that he would not be able to get someonelike Harry Belefonte who is clearly anti Israel and pro Palestinian tobe involved in the film if the truth about Sirhan was noted.In 1968 one year after the 6 day war most liberals were clearly ProIsrael. In the years after that much of the far left who I separatefrom liberals are very anti Israel and squeamish about using the wordterrorist when referring to an Arab.As Bill Maher has pointed out there is a danger when sensitivity standsahead of the pursuit of the truth.Inaccurate writing of history can be a significant danger when evenmany intelligent people between the ages between 20-40 cannot tell thedifference between Joe McCarthy and Eugene McCarthy.

moviedude1 2013-03-31 03:24:15

Possible spoilers! Come for the "who's who"...stay for the film.

I always try to begin a movie with an open mind, especially when itcomes to content concerning fact, history, etc. Although I was tooyoung (dob 1964) to remember Robert F Kennedy being shot, I grew upwith my parents telling me that his brother was, arguably, the bestpresident this country has ever known and HE was shot, not by somefreak, but by someone who was AFRAID of Jack.Bobby was no exception...What I did not realize was the events this film surrounds and the livesinvolved in that fateful night at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles,CA. I am a big fan of Emilio Estevez and his whole family, so I don'tthink an impartial vote could really be given on my part.But the bottom line is that, if you're a fan of anyone in this film,you're gonna like this movie, and, like me, you may even learn moreabout that night in June 1968.

rcoleman-4 2013-03-30 20:49:27

Glorifies Bobby a little too much

The movie was very well done; however, I don't appreciate Esteveztreating Robert Kennedy as a saint. In fact he went so far as to say onan interview that "the death of Bobby was the death of decency." Yes,Bobby was a very popular and influential politician in his day, yet, hewas not amazing as he is depicted. Secondly, he would not have won thepresidential election in the first place, Nixon still would have won.Nixon destroyed McCarthy, who was neck and neck with Kennedy in the Demprimary. Senator Kennedy was simply a "rock star" politician. He madepeople feel good about themselves, but his speeches really did notpresent anything profound. I guarantee if he was not a Kennedy hispopularity would not be the half of what it is today. Lastly, it wasclear Estevez was making an implicit protest on the war in Iraq.Haven't we've seen enough of those?

lauriemeegan 2013-03-28 11:19:44

An Amazing Film!

I am a big fan of RFK and read and heard about this movie and saw it onThursday with my family!We all loved it!!I think Sharon Stone's performance is the most amazing of any in thisstellar cast of excellent actors and stars!Her character had a special depth and soul that cut through every sceneshe was in.Christian Slater was excellent in his part, as well, in my opinion.Demi Moore was great, but not quite as good as Stone.She was best inher two scenes , separately with Estevez in her hotel room and Stone ,in the hair salon.But, Stone actually moved me..in her portrayal of a kind hearted,middle aged woman, who probably had gone as far as she ever would inlife and took and repressed a ton of personal pain, while servicingothers. She just rocked that part to the core.The movie itself was unique!I have never seen a movie that played like this with no one cast memberhaving a more pertinent role than another.Nor one where the scenes cut from situation to situation ,so seamlesslyand flowed together, in a way that was woven so well, that one neverfelt that the picture ever went out of sync with itself. It was in, short, incredible from a directorial point of view!!It was also quite moving and touching ,in regards to RFK.It hit just the right note, inclusive of his persona without gettingoverly maudlin or preachy.A beautiful film on many levels.OH! And the extra added surprise were the two characters who played thecampaign workers who tripped on LSD! We laughed and laughed at those scenes! They were perfection! And tookus back!Loved that tennis match scene when they trip and fall and tell eachother how freaked out they are, while laughing! The funniest part of that scene was where the one kid told the other to"look at it through my eyes" as he hands his buddy his glasses!Fantastically, FUNNY and apropos to the subject matter.Those two guys were a riot in that scene!In short..it is a creatively unique and brilliant film.In it's way it fits in sync, perfectly, with the feel of a short hotelstay , a day in the life of people in a hotel.One feels the sense of the winding hallways,cavernous lobbies anddarkened lounges of a hotel, where myriad, personal, human stories arebeing played out behind the backdrop of a catastrophic, historicalevent, that is about to played out right before their eyes.Amazing when one finds a film that is unique and creates somethingunseen, before, in film.Estevez style is just that creative and I went from the film feelinglike that was truly a new experience in film artistry. A joy in every way!

2013-03-28 04:12:31

Lament For Broken Dreams

I think Estevez's purpose here, and one that he achieved pretty well, is to show the tragedy of Robert Kennedy's death in an ordinary human setting, and contrast those events with today. Providing you are not waking from a 50 year sleep or completely ignorant of history, you will know that Kennedy's death hangs over the entire film. Estevez records the day's events in a deliberately soapy, and mostly entertaining style, to contrast then with now - has anything changed? This technique, with clips of RFK's mostly unscripted speeches, constantly reminded me of what has been lost. Comparisons with today's politicians are painful in the extreme. I once watched as RFK spoke, without notes, for 22 minutes, quoting freely from the classics. Few politicians today could even name a classic, let alone quote from one.The soap was mostly relevant - blacks and Latinos in the kitchen, the girl marrying to keep a young man from Vietnam - a stupid war, young lives wasted, black voters obstructed at the polls. Sound familiar? Of course it was soapy - the film has to be sold, get past the factory fed US media and make some money. That cast needs to be paid! The acting was mostly first-rate, the ultimate tragedy was contrasted with the petty concerns of those around RFK, and another life was extinguished, adding to those of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. All in the space of 5 years. A great deal of hope died with them. I was a little bored, briefly, during the less successful soapy bits, but, overall, very impressed, very entertained and very moved. I find it pertinent that the media has, generally, given this a lukewarm reception. It touches on issues of human behaviour, decency and justice that are taboo today, not entertaining enough - get back to Big Brother, we'll do the thinking for you. RFK's words over the final scenes are incredibly poignant. Idealistic for sure, but where are the politicians of today with heart and vision, capable of this level of oratory. They would be ridiculed and marginalized at best - witness our media's misrepresentation of Chavez in Venezuela. This was an Everyman's guide to what has been lost and you cannot help but compare with today. That was the point. That was the purpose. Worth a hundred of what passes for entertainment almost everywhere else. Heartily recommended.

Mike McGranaghan 2013-03-25 04:57:13

What I resent most about Bobby is that it's so obvious that it has no ability to be meaningful. It's like making a movie about how the ocean is wet. Who doesn't know that?

wnterstar 2013-03-24 20:20:10

A perfect movie

Bobby isn't really the story of RFK's assassination. It is the story ofhow his life affected thousands upon thousands of people from all walksof life. You see how his death affected everyone in this country.This movie is spectacular. It features an all-star cast, wonderfuldirecting, and a score that will haunt you. As if that wasn't enough,the editing was incredible. They managed to flawlessly (yes, I do meanthat literally) meld footage from the actual event and the moviefootage so it was virtually impossible to separate the two.I won't go into any details about the sub-plots and back stories exceptto say they were engaging and felt real, even if they werefictionalized. I usually will point out one great performance to raveabout in each review, but there were too many to single just one out.Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belefonte, Lawrence Fishburn, and William H.Macy all turn out the high caliber performances that we expect of them.Sharon Stone showed us, once again, that she is more than the femmefatale of Basic Instinct, and Demi Moore shines as Virginia Fallon. Oh,and look for an absolutely hysterical Ashton Kutcher! The rest of thecast was equally as engaging and skillful, but there were too many tosingle them all out.I think the most amazing thing for me was the end. Most of the time, Iwould clap to show my appreciation for such an amazing movie. Thistime, however, it seemed as inappropriate as applauding at the end of achurch service. It would have been disrespectful. Instead, I, as wellas 95% of the audience sat through the credits...absorbing what we hadseen and gone through.Emilio Esteves has outdone anything he has done in the past with thismovie. I can only hope that the Academy will recognize this stellaraccomplishment at Oscar time! Personally, I think this movie should bemandatory viewing for everyone!

shanwenbo1986 2013-03-21 20:58:11

bobby

The movie that shocks the person very much adds a lot of then andprecious appearances The Kennedy a nation with an ages with a greatman. The movie is a dream, is by one's own realize of sink to immersewith the banishment, few have the movie to let the person feel sowithout the dint. If he if did not die and does not know the UnitedStates is today that goes to the world and would be what appearance.RFK:Our life in this planet is too short. The work to be done is toogreat to let this spirit flourish any longer in this land of ours. Ofcourse, we cannot banish it with a program, nor with a resolution, butwe can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live withus are our bothers, that they share with us the same short moment oflife, that they seek, as do we......

doublew1230 2013-03-21 04:41:24

Bobby, while at points is entertaining, has no historical value

The tagline and hype for this movie led me to believe that this filmcenters on Robert Kennedy. Heck, the title of the movie is Bobby. But,my assumption turned out to be very far from the truth, the film isactually made up of fictional accounts of one day in the life ofseveral people who were bystanders during the assassination of RobertKennedy. This style of film-making can be very fruitful, as Crash was 2years ago. What makes Bobby unsuccessful in this endeavor is that,unlike in Crash, some of the plot lines have little or nothing to dowith the others. One section of the film followed Virginia Fallon, asinger performing at the same Hotel Kennedy was shot at, but neithershe nor her husband interacted at all with the characters from otherplot lines and they were not present at Bobby's assassination. Theassassination scene redeemed the movie somewhat as it was emotional andmoving, but it was the sole scene that was so.Some of the actors were still able to deliver good performances evenwith the limitations the movie. Shia LaBeouf played someone tripping onacid for the first time extremely comically. A moving speech about howwe need to rid ourselves of our anger to solve the problems between theraces is given by Laurence Fishburne. Harry Belafonte and AnthonyHopkins were entertaining as a pair of old friends playing chess andconversing about the times.But no amount of excellent acting can overcome the pointlessness of thecharacters they are playing. Emilio Estevez's efforts as a writer and adirector have fallen short. For better acting, plot, and historicalrelevance see The Good Shepherd.

Michael O'Keefe 2013-03-10 19:31:31

Riveting fictitious focus on the killing of Bobby Kennedy.

Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, BOBBY is a fictionalized lookat 22 individuals whose lives intersect in the hours leading up to theassassination of Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in LosAngeles. These various people have different reasons for being at thehotel, but do share the anticipation of Bobby's arrival to his primaryelection party. Bobby died in the early hours of June 6, 1968 afterbeing shot on his exit through the hotel's kitchen. The few otherpeople shot during the excitement survived. The movie takes a glimpseat relationships between men and women; and the social divisionsbetween races. Kennedy is only seen through newsreel footage; taped TVbroadcasts with the audio of some of his memorable speeches. Bobby wasbringing an excitement to America; there was a hopeful promise to awelcomed change that excited the young and old, the rich and the poorand the black and white citizens of a nation disappointed in thepolitical climate and an unpopular war in Viet Nam.This movie is held together with the help of a soundtrack of sounds ofthe times featuring: "Ain't That Peculiar" by Marvin Gaye, "The Soundof Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Tuesday Afternoon" by the MoodyBlues, "Spoonful" by Cream, "Grazing in the Grass" by Hugh Masekela,"Black is Black" by Los Bravos and recorded especially for the movie,"Louie Louie" by Demi Moore.BOBBY stars a diverse ensemble featuring: Anthony Hopkins, William H.Macy, Sharon Stone, Freddy Rodriguez, Helen Hunt, Lindsay Lohan, HarryBelafonte, Heather Graham, Christian Slater, Mary Elizabeth Winstead,Martin Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Nick Cannon, Elijah Wood and EmilioEstevez.

Ania 2013-03-10 10:56:33

This film is a must see..especially if one thinks that anything matters more than the heart of loving

When the film was over....you could hear a pin drop. The people thatstarted to leave the theater were silent as if in Church. A dry eyethere was not. As I watched the energy of the people in the theater Ifought back my own out pouring of tears as I knew I would be a bloodymess if I really let it out. This movie is worth seeing no matter whoyou are, where you were born, what beliefs you have about anything oranyone. This is a film about being human. This film is about bringingpeace, love, and a oneness inside that is a Soul experience inrecognition of who we truly are. If you see this film, really see thisfilm and take it in....you most definitely will be touched. If you arenot touched by this incredibly done historic film...May God be withyou.My compliments to Emilio Estevez for such a very well done legacy. Notonly was it an excellent use of great talent, it was well written. Thatdoesn't even begin to describe what I saw. Not one necessary detail wasoverlooked. Having met Emilio years ago, I am not surprised at theamount of heartfelt energy that went into this film. It tells much ofwho he is as a person and as a film maker. I wish Emilio every blessingwith this film and more. See you at the Oscars!

brownisSOmycolor 2013-03-01 20:22:26

Bobby: A Movie About Real People During A Very Real Time

If there is any movie to see before the break of a new year, Bobby, thefilm about several people who were staying at the Ambassador Hotel andwitnessed the assassination of Robert "Bobby" Kennedy.Like Crash (2004), this drama/biopic had an ensemble cast. With bignames such as Sharon Stone, Martin Sheen, Harry Belafonte, and WilliamH. Macy, and up and coming stars such as Shia LaBeouf, FreddyRodriguez, and Lindsay Lohan.One of the multitude of things I liked about this film was the factthat it had all of these stars, yet, there wasn't a star character.Emilio (Estavez, the writer/director) chose to allow the missed Kennedyto be the star by integrating actual footage from the same time period.Also, no actor was chosen to play Kennedy, only except from the back orin shadows for certain scenes.A thing that's hard to accomplish with period pieces is getting theaudience to feel for the movie. To feel as though they were there. Thiswas accomplished in many ways. There were key elements of drama andlife lessons in a small speech given by Lawrence Fishburne, and therewere comedic scenes by way of Ashton Kutcher, Shia LaBeouf, and BrianGeraghty doing acid.Two actors I would like to acknowledge were Nick Cannon and LindsayLohan. Upon seeing Cannon at his best, I was reminded that he canactually act (see Drumline (2002). I was also impressed with Lohan'scharacter portrayal. After seeing her in pure comedies over the years,it was refreshing to see that she could pull such a role off withoutflaws.The cast as a whole made me proud. Never have I've seen a movie thatjust felt real. I definitely recommend this movie.

Chris_Docker 2013-03-01 06:07:05

A soap opera of 1968 America

With a cast of more stars than you can shake a ticker tape at, Bobbypanoramas 24 hours in the life of the Ambassador Hotel - before Senator(and presidential hopeful) Robert Kennedy arrives and is assassinated.The time is 1968 and in many ways this movie is a snapshot of the era.Anti-war protests over America's war in Vietnam, Martin Luther Kingshot, bras being burnt, and people tuning in and dropping out withpsychedelic drugs. Our movie takes the lives - and the hopes and wishes- of a cross section of people and presents them as a microcosm of amood of a nation.Bobby Kennedy - like his brother JF Kennedy before him - was acharismatic speaker, although relying more on his passion for humanrights than clever turns of phrase. The Senator, who in the film isriding high in the California primaries, is played mostly by himselffrom archive footage. Instead of using trick photography to place theactors next to him, the film simply cuts back and forth to the liveaction, or occasionally a stand-in will show the back of Bobby's head.Misleadingly from the title, the movie is about the aspirations of ageneration, some of which are symbolised by the figure of RobertKennedy. The story takes a rambling non-linear soap-opera approach,rather like Magnolia, and most of the characters are linked only at theend.There is the young lad (Elijah Wood) being drafted and a girl ismarrying him so he will be posted to Germany rather than the body-bagfactory of 'Nam. There is Sharon Stone, cuckolded wife and beauty salonmanager, sharing repressed emotion with a drunken cabaret performer,played by Demi Moore. Two young members of the campaign staff take timeout to experience their first LSD trip. The restaurant staff, mostlyillegal immigrants, are forced to take double shifts. Everyone we meetis buoyed along by hope as represented in the Senator's anti-war,anti-discrimination rallying speeches.This is a leisurely, detailed and lovingly crafted movie. To those wholived through or can empathise with the period, it will have greatsentimental value. To those who see a similarity between opposition tothe Vietnam war and opposition to the Iraq war some 40 years later, itprovides a useful historical reference point.To opponents of the war, in spite of the differences, there are manyresonances. Both wars are against a vaguely defined enemy. Both areproving to be wars that America cannot 'win'. Yet for all its emotion,the lionising of Bobby Kennedy is based on promises more than anyevidence that he would have been able to halt the war sooner. Hisbrother, JFK, was largely responsible for initiating the war, in spiteof his constant halo (alternatively, he was a puppet of the CIA - whichRFK might have had to succumb to as well). Both, like George W Bush,were deeply religious, and no doubt the oratory and rhetoric of thebiblical traditions helped them in turn to inspire millions with orwithout supporting facts.Bobby questions nothing, merely records a fragment in time. But inshoring up the popular mythology surrounding the Kennedys it also payshomage to the modern cult of the emotional soundbyte - which continuesto be the bulwark determining how the United States elects itspresidents.Bobby is a beautifully made film, but this will not prevent lesspatient audiences asking what was the point.