The Assassination of Richard Nixon Movie Review

Every one is worth something. If every human has humanity, and it’s one of arts feats to illuminate this, then “The Assassination of Richard Nixon” is a film with a worthy subject, but that doesn’t mean it’s a worthy film. Its subject, Sam Bicke, is a rather poor (lacking money and skills) salesman separated from his wife and kids. Sam is not quite right. Probably he was always this way and the separation is making things worse. He used to sell tires for his brother, now he is in furniture after a rupture. Sam’s problem is that he wants to be an honest salesmen. He sees himself as honest and the rest of the world as the opposite. Probably he should choose a new line of work. Sean Penn’s Bicke is a fine performance, but I cannot help but see him as a rehash of Travis Bickle, De Niro’s title character from the epic classic “Taxi Driver.”

In fact, much of “The Assassination of Richard Nixon” will suffer from comparison to the incomparable “Taxi Driver.” Both tell the story of an alienated mans steady descent into madness. “Nixon” is a sparse drama, “Taxi Driver” a macabre surreal dantean opera of filmmaking. So we are left with Bicke, a salesman so introverted he can barely be heard from beneath that mustache that his new boss makes him shave-a compromise so biting to Bicke. He tries to share his troubles with his only friend Bonny Simmons (Don Cheadle), a sympathetic black mechanic who tells him “it’s a job.” Bonny probably shares some of Bicke’s problems with the world, but he focuses on his wife and child and creates a balance (life’s real struggle). The two plan on opening a tire shop, actually a strange progressive tire delivery and installation service, a dream that Bonny knows is just that, but that Bicke progressively and aggressively clings too. Bicke is intent on getting his family back. His wife Marie (expertly shrouded in black hair and a cocktail outfit by Naomi Watts) is not so interested and reminds him that he isn’t supposed to just drop by.

Back and forth editing, and the films title, tell us that Bicke will, and has, jumped over the edge. He dictates tapes on what should be his legacy to Leonard Bernstein. Perhaps with some re-adjustment, Bicke could have been an activist. He sees a black panther on TV and, identifying with their message of alienation and discrimination by and from the powers that be, he heads on down to the local chapter. But Bicke isn’t just alienated. Due to his separation from his wife and his lack of support from anywhere he is gone til November and not coming back. The viewer will feel sympathetic to Bicke, it’s a big cruel world out there, so maybe you shouldn’t be a salesman.

Story: The story of one man’s descent. B
Acting: Really good all around B +
Visuals: Not distracting, era appropriate. B
Originality/Innovation: A character study, bare bones “Taxi Driver” so really not very original. C
Enjoyability Grade: This is like pulling teeth while talking about the war fun. C -
Overall Grade: B -