Nixon (1995)

Director: Oliver Stone

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Mary Steenburgen, James Woods*

Have I Seen It Before: Oh, sure.

Did I Like It: First of all, the fact that David Hyde Pierce and Madeline Khan were in the same film together means it should be one of the all-time greats. I mean, it’s not a comedy, but still… That’s just science. The rest of the cast is pretty stacked, too. It’s one of those movies where as the opening credits unfurl, I’m more and more excited for the three hours that are to follow.

And the movie is pretty good. Hopkins gives a solid performance throughout, especially as his Welsh access can never be completely supplanted by the Nixonian growl, and his eyes are always a bit too manic** to fully recreate the Yorba Lindan’s scowl. He gives Nixon all of the tragedy he needs to sell a biopic about him, without ever fully forgiving him for his more baffling flaws.

And on the topic of baffling flaws, there are a few things that nag at this viewer. I don’t think I have ever been more pulled out of a film than when—at the height of the famous first debate of the 1960 Presidential election, John Kennedy is clearly depicted via archival footage… until suddenly he isn’t. Turning on a dime, JFK is suddenly played by an actor who isn’t even remotely doing a reasonable impression to match with the previous archival stuff. Where’s Vaughn Meader when you need him?

One more thing from the baffling department, but I actually kind of like this one. I can’t quite fathom why the Watergate burglars were watching what was clearly a Jam Handy instructional film during the movie’s opening scenes. It does obliquely introduce some of the themes with which we are about to reckon, but for the life of me I don’t understand why Howard Hunt and the rest were spending their down time doing this, but I’m oddly charmed that both this movie and the MST3K episode of Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966).

*In a recent review of John Carpenter’s Vampires (1998), mainly because James Woods starred it. This film was much easier to swallow, given that he’s playing one of history’s greatest dickheads.

**One might be tempted to think too much of Lecter, but I also can’t not look at him and see Don Diego de la Vega.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

Director: Oliver Stone

Cast: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones

Have I Seen It Before?: Nope.

Did I like it?: One can’t help but go through a movie like this and wind up with a few questions.

My first question is this, and may betray the reality that I’m missing the point: How did the Coca-Cola Company feel about the use of their polar bears? I can’t imagine they were into it or even sought the product placement out, but then again, I can’t rule it out.

Is it fair to judge satire through the prism of the time that has passed since its creation? Maybe, but it’s as good a point as any to start. America was a violent place in 1994, and we couldn’t stop watching it on TV.

It’s a quarter of a century later. We’re more violent. We’re covering it more. The parasitic relationship didn’t die with Robert Downey Jr.’s character. The only change is that the killers of the 21st century are far less likely to live to their exclusive interview.

If it’s not fair to judge the film through the prism of time, it’s probably not fair to judge it because the problem diagnoses didn’t get fixed. Our politicians are still dishonest if it gives them the slightest advantage, even those we saw Wag the Dog (1997). The trend of humanity to embrace its ignorance continues apace, despite the fact that Idiocracy (2006) is a thing. If anything, I’ve only watched more TV since The Cable Guy (1996), a film which is clearly built on the foundation of Natural Born Killers.

What were the other questions with which I was left? First, was manic Tommy Lee Jones ever really a thing, and I just happened to miss it? Second: Is the forthcoming Venom 2 going to be a sequel to this movie? Only time will tell.