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	The Assassination Of Richard Nixon
	Niels Mueller Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Don Cheadle, Jack Thompson, Brad Henke 2004		In almost matter-of-fact fashion, Sean Penn enhances his acting resume with another affecting depiction of a troubled individual. "The Assassination of Richard Nixon," a drama inspired by a true story, is neither a big movie, nor supremely memorable. Instead, it's a series of small interactions — moments of pained, awkward intimacy that add up to a tragic sum total for its central figure, Sam Bicke (Penn). Set in 1974, the film gets personal with this earnest but most unhappy fella, the quintessential little guy plagued by forces that appear to be beyond his control. Sam is estranged from his wife, Marie, and his two children; his job prospects are slim, and his only friend (Don Cheadle) is losing patience with him. His life begins to unravel at a most distressing pace, but he can't see that he's partly the cause of his own demise. Rather, he believes that the system has failed him, that America, so-called land of opportunity, is a sham. So Sam decides to take matters into his own hands, with trouble a likely outcome. The supporting cast includes Australian golden-girl Naomi Watts, who was opposite Penn in "21 Grams." Here, she goes brunette and American as long-suffering spouse Marie. Jack Thompson is properly overbearing as Sam's manipulative boss. Niels Mueller, whose script for the coming-of-age comedy "Tadpole" dipped into social satire, co-wrote and directed this one, which works primarily as a showcase for Penn.


	Sunday, November 17, 2024





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