Missed out on the Oscars but...

I wasn't entirely sure what to think when I heard that Emilio Estevez of all people was writing and directing a film about Bobby Kennedy. I was even less sure about it when I heard what it was called. I realise that this is meaningless to those of you not familiar with Scottish colloquialisms but try going up to someone in Scotland and telling them you want to see BOBBY. Trust me, it might not be a problem in American cinemas but I struggled to keep a straight face.

Sorry, back to the movie.

When it ended up receiving some decent plaudits and some Golden Globe nominations I decided I should probably see it. BOBBY however is not so much about Bobby but his effect on people. The film follows the lives of 22 people who lived or worked in the Ambassador Hotel in the day leading up to his assassination at the hands of Sirhan Sirhan and sets out to show how, in some small or not so small way, Kennedy touched each of these lives.

What transpires is a noble effort but far from perfect. There's no doubting that it's one of the most recognisable ensemble casts seen in a long time, but in a story where each character arc strives for importance, none of actors stand out. When I think of Estevez, I think of a guy who was pretty famous, but no megastar, in the late 80s and early 90s but has faded from the public eye - it's probably appropriate then that the cast is assembled from faces who are well known but either never quite made the A-list or else who have since faded.

Harry Belafonte, Anthony Hopkins, Emilio Estevez (looking more like his dad every time I see him), Demi Moore, Laurence Fishbourne, Sharon Stone, William H. Macy, Joshua Jackson, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, Ashton Kutcher, Christian Slater, Heather Graham, Helen Hunt, Martin Sheen... that's just the ones I can remember. You can't say it's not a recognisable cast, that's for sure. As stated above though, none of the actors stand out and that's probably because none of the characters stand out. There are too many stories to fit in, so each one is given very little time to develop or to generate much sympathy. A three-hour film or a TV miniseries might have managed, but Estevez reaches too far for his film.

The other problem is that there are a few characters who don't really seem to be affected by the whole thing and are largely redundant. The arc involving Demi Moore and Emilio Estevez for example does not tie in with Kennedy or his story and could easily have been cut to make way for more of someone more worthy.

None of this is to say that any of the actors are bad - actually they're all pretty good, or least as good as you have come to expect them to be. Unfortunately for them, they're short-changed by the script; and unfortunately for Estevez this short-changes the entire film, making it a glorious and heroic failure more than anything else.

If I had to point to the parts of the film that work, I'd say that the opening scenes, showing what a turbulent period of history this was, and the emotionally charged finale stand out way above the rest of the movie (though I couldn't help feel a little uncomfortable at the blurring of Estevez's fiction and the real life events during the chaotic scenes following the shooting).

As with any political movie, your enjoyment may well hinge on your political leanings, so ask yourself this. Was Robert Kennedy the great "what if"; was he about to become one of the greatest presidents in the history of the USA? Or was he a ruthless political opportunist who just knew how to say the right things? Your answer to this will probably give a fair indication of how you'll feel about this film because, make no mistake about it, this is more hero worship than documentary.

I couldn't help thinking of one famous quote uttered by Teddy Kennedy in his memorable speech at Bobby's funeral. He stated "my brother need not be idealised, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life". I'll leave you to decide if Estevez got it right.