Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to what it was like to watch it for the first time.

classicsoncall If you lived through the era, you knew things were tense. Average people were getting ready, preparing to meet their Maker. If anything, the film paints an even grimmer picture than anyone outside of the Kennedy istration inner circle could have contemplated, with the entire world a stone's throw away from the brink of nuclear war.It seemed to me that the events as depicted in the story were fairly accurate historically. What particularly impressed me the first time I saw this movie, which was reinforced again when I watched it the other night, was how forceful John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) was in facing down his generals to avoid a military confrontation right from the outset. The same with Robert McNamara (Dylan Baker) as Secretary of Defense in his row with the iral who ordered the 'star missiles' to be fired as a warning.However of all the names mentioned in the story who were part of Kennedy's cabinet, along with the principal military leaders of the time, the one name that didn't offer a hint of recognition was that of Ken O'Donnell (Kevin Costner), who in this picture was accorded as much significance as that of JFK and brother Bobby (Steven Culp). I chalk that up to Costner being one of the movie's producers, and if I'm all wrong about that, so be it. I thought the character had an important presence in the story, but have to wonder if the real Ken O'Donnell would have had as much influence with the brothers Kennedy.Considering the real world paranoia that gripped the world during this thirteen day span of time during October, 1962, an interesting contrast can be made against the fictional story presented in 1964's "Fail-Safe", about an accidental launching of an American nuclear missile strike against Russia with no hope of retrieval. Filmed just a couple short years following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the story is a real nail biter with an unbelievable resolution intended to 'even out the destruction' between military super powers. If you haven't seen it, check it out.One note of irony in this film's casting, that of Stephanie Romanov as Jackie Kennedy. Although her mother was American born, her father was of Slovakian descent, with a last name that most anyone would mistake for Russian. I wonder if anyone connected with casting on the picture thought about that.

meritcoba "Nothing can ruin the carefree mood of a football game so much as an imminent nuclear holocaust." Henry folded his hands behind his head and stretched his body as to make full use of the couch."Blimey, we actually saw a movie that was on the good side of the average divide..." Kristl said and she handed Henry a beer. She had walked into the kitchen that was at the end on the ading corridor of their garage-turned-movie-theater."Beer...? Blimey..? A positive mood? What has gotten into you?" Henry quickly secured the offered beer before something sudden would happen, like a nuclear war or a mood swing. You never knew when Kristls mood would take another turn. Women, so Henry thought, were highly unpredictable.. especially to men.." I really liked the movie. It was a good political thriller. Strange actually, considering that I knew what was going to happen: it still had me sitting on the edge. I liked it that they never showed what the other people were thinking or doing: the Soviets, the Cubans, even their own people: the US military. And although I had to get adjust for a moment, it was a good thing that Kevin Costner did not play the president but his adviser. It sort of made it more human. ""Yeah, funny... Our military was as much to be trusted as not. I can imagine that some people will not like this image of some military dudes steering towards a nuclear war. Perhaps somewhat unfair too? The Russians were the bad guys, no?" Henry mused. He savored his beer."Soviets. Not Russians. Let's call them Soviets. And the answer: maybe.. maybe.. at least they were unknown baddies.. That makes the movie unnerving. You have no idea what they are thinking. Just like the president and his staff must have been experiencing. What are they up to? How far will they go?""And what if they don't stop?""Yeah. How did you like the intro.. how it flows from the introduction into the movie. Other than that the movie was not a cinematographic high movie. Not spectacular imagery. But well played and well written." Kristl added."I actually was amazed myself that I liked it.. I mean,..." Henry made a vague gesture., spilling some beer."No damsels in tight suits shooting up legions of evil guys?" Kristl smiled."Yeah., no action.. yet the movie scares the hell out of you. They were so hovering on the brink of a nuclear war. If the Russians had not given in.. If they had not turned those ships around.." Henry made a sudden gesture with his hands making him spill beer all around, "BOOM!""That is true.. but than we never know if president Kennedy would have backed down himself. Or that they would have ignored the ships being there. This is of course another thing. That this issue got to be a big issue was because the US made it into a one. They were prepared to go to war over nuclear missiles stationed on Cuba not because it meant that the US could now be nuked -the Soviets could do that already- but because the US could be nuked far quicker than before. Not hours.. but minutes. It sort of evened the score in their opinion because that same threat hung over the heads over everyone else. It sort of gives you pause to think why this thing was played up. Why was Kennedy prepared to let it get this far?""Well. In the end the Russians backed down.. so the US won." Henry said."Won?" Kristls face became thoughtful, "Won. Maybe. But at that point in time I wonder.. was it really necessary to drag the world towards a nuclear war over some missiles placed on Cuba? I mean really.. the Soviets could already bomb the US back into the stone age so placing missiles on Cuba was not actually changing the balance in the world by much. Maybe it was more to save the presidents prestige than anything else. Which makes you wonder... and scared. ""Let's fret not over things that are in the past. We are talking about a movie, not about some political historical discussion. I liked the movie even if there was not one action scene in it.""Uhmm. Touchy subject no?""Let us just say that it ended in a positive mood. Red lost...""And blue won?""Right.""Only not sure who was red and who was blue." Kristl said to herself.Review with pictures at my site:www.meritcoba.com

rowmorg Its pretty shattering when Kennedy says he just read "The Guns of August" (by Barbara Tuchman), because it reveals what a nightmare the 20th century was. I that Friday night in 1962 going to bed wondering if I'd get up in the morning. It was truly ghastly to feel that the whole civilised world could be blown to bits by lunatics like Gen. Curtis Lemay and Gen. Lemnitzer. Of course, the war party ultimately won by Kennedy getting assassinated, something that traumatized my whole life and has never been resolved. Gen. Lemnitzer got promoted to run the whole of NATO and the hideous Gladio programme that distorted European politics. All those guys are still there and they faked the 9/11 events to promote more war in the 21st century: it's so sad that the US public gets lied to again and again, and just laps it up or turns off. Kennedy was the one guy who had a chance to turn over a new leaf, and it was stolen from him --- and from his brother. This is a very sad film, in view of what transpired: although, sadly, few Americans are aware of what happened afterwards, or even before, such as the Bay of Pigs fiasco that led directly to this trauma, and got Lemnitzer fired by Kennedy. We now know that Kennedy was corresponding with Kruschev throughout.

Desertman84 Thirteen Days is a docudrama directed by Roger Donaldson about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US political leadership. Kevin Costner stars, with Bruce Greenwood featured as John F. Kennedy.Donaldson teams up with Costner for another political thriller after both made No Way Out.After President John F. Kennedy is shown photographs from a spy plane detailing the presence of missiles in Cuba capable of obliterating massive areas of the U.S., he must immediately decide the most effective course of action for the country. With the aid of best friend and special assistant Kenny O'Donnell and brother Robert, the President must avoid a dire chain of events that could be dictated by General Curtis LeMay, who would rather take immediate action and invade Cuba. After initial reticence about leaking the information to the nation, President Kennedy eventually tells of the conflict, leading to widespread panic and a blockade of Cuba. With the aid of Robert McNamara and Adlai Stevenson, the leaders must find a way to alleviate the tension of the situation. The film is a good movie about a profound moment in world history.It provides more suspense than the car crashes and breathless chases of most action movies even though the outcome is known at the end.It has great performances from Costner and Greenwood,who was memorable as JFK.Also,it is easily the best film that Donaldson ever made.Overall,it was a highly competent and refreshing movie.