The Assassination Of Richard Nixon Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
The mad story of a true man.
Power is a state of mind.
Fact-based story about a disturbed office furniture salesman (Sean Penn) who in 1972 concocted a plot to kill then-President Nixon by hi-jacking a plane to fly over the White House to drop a gas bomb. At the start of the movie, the man is separated from his wife and stressed in his job where he is made the butt of jokes and is an under-performer. Attempts to get his brother's old tire business resurrected with a black partner is rejected by the banks. When he is officially served with divorce papers, everything comes apart and Richard Nixon's broken promises comes to represent all the evils that have come down on him. A news story about a pilot that landed a helicopter on the White House lawn gives him the idea for his attack. Bolting onto a Baltimore plane, he attempts the hi-jacking.
| Don Cheadle | Bonny Simmons |
| Naomi Watts | Marie Andersen Bicke |
| Sean Penn | Samuel J. Bicke |
| Jack Thompson | Jack Jones |
| Brad William Henke | Martin Jones |
| Jared Dorrance | Sammy Jr. |
| Nick Searcy | Tom Ford |
| Michael Wincott | Julius Bicke |
| Mykelti Williamson | Harold Mann |
| April Grace | Mae Simmons |
| Lily Knight | Receptionist |
| Jenna Milton | Ellen |
| Mariah Massa | Julie |
| Eileen Ryan | Marie's Mother |
| Derek Greene | Joey Simmons |
| Niels Mueller |
7.20 out of 10 (7168 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Falling Down on Tricky Dick
posted on 12 Aug 2009Another twitchy performance by Penn as a mousy loser who's so hopelessly pathetic that all the anti-capitalist, anti-racist, anti-whatsoever criticism that drives him to run amok feels rather toothless.Yes, the direction is quietly understated and the performances are okay, but the script is way too obvious in its depiction of a mental breakdown and Penn's one-note character becomes quite grating after a while.At least, Michael Douglas whacked out the right way in "Falling Down".5 out of 10 enlightening letters to Leonard Bernstein
Excellent performance by Sean Penn
posted on 17 Jul 2009The movie is about a guy that ultimately makes an attempt to assassin Richard Nixon. Sean Penn plays the main character that only wants well for the people around him and the world. Turns out that everything he does is a disaster. The movie shows well how he paints himself and his surrounding in to a corner.Since the main character is driven to achieve big things in life, he decides to make an attempt to assassin Richard Nixon.Sean Penn plays this character extremely well and his performance is the main reason to watch this movie.6 out of 10
A fascinating character study of how the system can crush and destroy the spirit of the little man
posted on 09 Jul 2009The Assassination of Richard Nixon is a character study that is based on the true story of Samuel Bicke, a man who tried to assassinate Richard Nixon by high jacking and flying a plane into the White Hourse in the 70s. For a long time now, we have been able to count on any film that Sean Penn stars in as being a great film or at least better than the majority of trash that comes out of Hollywood these days. We are not disappointed with this film.Penn's performance is powerful. He becomes Samuel Bicke. When you see him you do not see Sean Penn, you see Samuel Bicke. Bicke, in the words of his own brother, is a strange man. He is a man that is intelligent but somewhat awkward when it comes to social interaction. He is a man with ideals that he feels are being assailed from every side. His co-workers do not respect him, his estranged wife does not love him, he sees dishonesty at every turn and the American dream is denied him, over and over again.The brilliance of this film is that Bicke comes off not so much the murdering psycho, which in the end, he undoubtedly is, but as the little man crushed by the system. We come off not wondering how a man could do such terrible acts, but at what it is in the system that would drive a man like Bicke to do the terrible thing he did. What is it in the system that drives a man to go against every value he holds dear and strike out in such a violent manner? Ultimately those are the questions we come away asking, after having seen this film.The comparisons to Taxi Driver are inevitable. That comparison is not altogether unjustified. It is that same slow build up that explodes into a horrific act of violence that makes us question. You will find that this movie will have you thinking for days after you have seen it. It will not be easily forgotten. Definitely two hours well spent. – Deanna Carmichael (www.2-hours.com)
Excellent Penn performance, sombre and uncomfortable but altogether superb movie
posted on 05 Jul 2009Wow, what a film. Afterwards I can honestly say that the group who went to see it were slightly shell shocked, we were all a bit glum and sombre. However, that does not make this a bad movie, it was an excellent movie and entirely down to the superb performance of Sean Penn.I'm really glad this movie got made, having heard of the problems it faced during production. The Twin Towers were attacked and the Studios became really nervous, a story of a man who tried to hijack a plane and fly it into the Whitehouse was not what they thought the public wanted to see. I believe Mr Penn was a strong voice of opposition, as were the team behind the movie, and they pushed to keep this going. It did, and the eventual release has shown it was the right choice.As the movie progresses your level of unease grows, the character of XX just continually makes you feel uncomfortable, there's an odd edge to him which you just can't quite put your finger on, and this level grows and grows as the performance gets more and more off kilter. It's an abject lesson in how someone can loose their bearings and decide to set their life on a course of action that seems totally illogical and indeed crazy to everyone else.At first I thought that it was a poor performance from Penn that was irritating me, and that was why I was uncomfortable and loosing patience. Actually it wasn't that at all, when the behaviour was obvious and his actions became more radical, that's when I realised it was his excellent portrayal of the slow slide from reality that was affecting me.The movie is bleak, yet it retains a sliver of hope, that being that from the opening scenes you know that something isn't right with the character anyway. Although even that comes apart when you understand that once he had a wife, two kids, a dog and a successful life.Throughout the movie there's the underlying current of the commercialism and corruptness of US society, on how the country has become like the whole ethos of sales, fake and full of lies. With the events that occur to the character and those that happen around him that belong to the time, there is an element of sympathy and understanding with him.I can't praise Penn enough, oddly I can't remember when he suddenly became such a great actor, yet I do remember him being awful and a wild character. Now though, there's nothing I couldn't see him taking on.The whole feel of the film is perfect for that Watergate era, even to the tiniest detail. It seems that this is something that they've worked on really hard to achieve, and it helps you to believe in the performances.I would say that it's a great film, a wonderful performance and you really should go and see it, however have something happy to do afterwards, go out with friends and have some fun. If you enjoy the movie, you'll be taken in by the performance and you'll feel like we did afterwards. I've never heard a movie audience be so quiet during the movie and the appearance of the credits.
A Nutshell Review: The Assassination of Richard Nixon
posted on 23 Jun 2009What will make a man snap, go out of control, and want to kill the President, by flying an airplane right into the White House? While the setting of this tale is pre-911, watching it in a post-911 era does send some unnerving chills down your spine.Life is bad for Sam Bicke. His American Dream is falling apart, starting with his family. He is separated from his wife, and she has custody of their 3 children. She has obviously moved on, and is unhappy whenever Sam visits her and the children, and even more angry when he sees her at her workplace.His moral values clashes with company culture - as a salesman he is expected to make the occasional white lie to sell products. But he subscribes to the moral belief that one should tell the truth, even in business. Needless to say, his quota is always at the bottom rung, and gets chided and belittled by fellow colleagues and his boss.He tries to start his own business, but is stuck with insane bureaucracy and suspected racism. At one stage he steals from his brother, who's also in the same line of business (rubber tyres), and that plunged their blood relations even further down the gutter.Heck, even his political ideology he identifies with the Black Panthers also turn inconsequential, as the group gets clamped down.Frustrated by the current state of his being, he finally puts the blame on the "system", as we see Richard Nixon on TV screens, giving his political speeches in his scandal laden presidency. Sam finally decides to take matters into his own hand to not just be a grain of sand on the beach, and this leads to an explosive ending where the pace of the film quickens.Sean Penn is absolutely brilliant, and is able to carry the entire weight of this film on his own shoulders. Playing a man with many facades and moods, he brings Sam Bicke to life with ease with his repertoire of acting skills. His co-stars put up commendable performances, albeit short ones . (Can't get enough of Don Cheadle after his excellent Hotel Rwanda).I checked out this show in preparation of his other film The Interpreter, with yet another Australian actress (His 21 Grams co-star Naomi Watts in this one, and Nicole Kidman in the other... lucky fella!), so if you want to watch Sean showcase his acting ability in a recent non-mainstream film, you can consider this.
Strong Performance By Sean Penn Holds Film Together
posted on 05 Jun 2009Samuel Bicke is introduced to the audience as an already broken man in spirit, a man who is not respected by his boss, his marriage that has quickly unraveled, and a government that Birke believes to tell only lies to its people. Birke is driven to the edge because of the world that has seemingly gone insane on him, and he decides to do something about it.The Assassination of Richard Nixon is a film that is driven by the ex caliber performance by Sean Penn, who brings the story of a down on his luck ordinary man onto the screen with such intensity and realism that the audience is never doubting the situations that occur throughout the film. Bicke is a socially inept man with a very strong stand on what is right or wrong in the world, he blames his society for everything that is wrong in his life, and tries so desperately to get those around him to see what he sees that he descends into an insane state of mind.Samuel Bicke is a sad, lonely man who only wants the American Dream: a loving wife in a suburban neighborhood, successful at his job, and caring friends to share his experiences with. Instead, his neurotic ways make him incapable of accepting the truths of the world around him. There is a situation where Bicke is trying to gain a small business loan so he and his close friend, Bonny (on Cheadle), can start a tire business together. Bicke starts to instead preach to the businessman on why he needs this loan, that the nation is swamped with businesses who are liars, and that he would run one that was honest. So passionate he is about this, he makes the loan interviewer uncomfortable, and sends Bicke on his way because he is so insignificant.Throughout the film, Bicke becomes more and more obsessed with Richard Nixon, a man whom he blames for the state of his life, because of the lies this man has the American people believing, and the promises of prosperity that were broken. Bicke sees Nixon as the liar and the crook, instead of seeing that he himself is the one to blame for his current situation. And because Nixon is everywhere in the media, telling "lies" about the state of the nation, this drives Bicke to obscene thoughts and outrageous behavior. Penn is such an extraordinary actor, has such a presence on screen. He creates Bicke as a man full of anger, anger that simmers through insignificant movements such as the twitch of an eye or the movement of a hand. His facial expressions are always hiding some bit of emotion he is trying so desperately to hide. Yes, Penn was amazing, he was the glue of this film, and given to any other actor the film may have fallen apart.The Assassination of Richard Nixon is based on real events. There really was a Samuel Bicke (spelled Byck)who tried to hijack a plane and fly it into the White House, and the real Samuel Byck was also a lonely man whom nobody could understand. This film is a character study of him, and a well made one at that. Though there is no clear message, the audience has to come to their own conclusions on what they think Samuel Bicke was all about.Recommended MJR
it is deserve more vote
posted on 05 Jun 2009there must be more guys who watched and liked. when you look the name of movie the best guess its an agent film,long boring dialogs ,more names then remembered , a killer,a history ,nixon doings goods bads rights lefts.yes i expected it but watched for Sean Penn&Naomi Watts (they well together)and i found nothing about them but more more then expected.u will be sitting your chair with a big smile face but in the end of movie u try to take deep breathe for relax(like requiem for dream)and start to interrogate your life.Am i servant(employer)?whom have been to serve? "And that's how they want us, isn't it?Alone.Divided. Weak"
Sean Penn in one of his best performances.
posted on 30 May 2009There was a real but mostly obscure incident in 1974, where a man made a poorly planned attempt at assassinating then President Nixon. This movie takes that incident and expands on it, as a character study which could represent any number of people today who don't quite have a realistic view of the world, and feel that they are being unfairly repressed. Sean Penn, in what I think may well be his best performance, is Samuel Bicke. Separated from his wife (Naomi Watts), and having left his brother's tire business, Sam has started a new job as an office furniture salesman. But he is having trouble with what he considers the "dishonesty" associated with such a sales position.Aussie Jack Thompson is superb as the boss who is always trying to teach Sam the tricks of the trade. In one episode a customer asks Sam "what is your best price?" When Sam tells him he can sell it for 10% off, his boss comes in, apparently angry, calls Sam aside and, loud enough for the customer to overhear, explains it has already been discounted, and selling it for 10% off will be below cost. Urging Sam to redirect the customer to another item, Sam returns to finds the customer has already written the check. Then Sam finds out it was only a sales trick, to get the customer to jump at what he now thought was an impossibly great deal. This disturbs Sam greatly and helps push him off the deep end.SPOILERS. Sam wants to go into his own business, as a mobile tire salesman, where a converted bus would hold the inventory and they would go where the customer is. His partner would be his friend, Bonny, played by Don Cheadle. It all hinges on an SBA loan and, so sure he would get it, Sam quits his sales job and every day checks the mail. When he finally gets a rejection letter, it sends him off the deep end.Major SPOILERS. Sam blames the government with its politics and lies for his problems, and especially that crook Richard Nixon, so hatches a half-baked plan to get onto a plane in Baltimore, with a gun strapped to his metal leg brace (a prop), and hijack it into the White House. Nervous before boarding he ditched the plan, takes the gun and shoots his way on board, shoots a copilot, and confused is gunned down by agents outside the plane. Much of Sam's thought process through the movie is told to us via a recording we witness him making to composer Bernstein, whom he admires, and mails the tapes at the airport.
A gripping tale of a wretched man.
posted on 28 May 2009A gripping tale of an obsessive, wretched man, lacking confidence and ultimately blaming outside forces for his shortcomings. Penn is brilliant as Bicke, and we forget that he is one of the Hollywood glitterati through his masterful performance. We witness Bicke's many monomanias and obsessions, culminating with his horrifying attempt to assassinate Mr. Nixon. From his disintegrating marriage to his lack of success as a salesman to his erosion of brotherhood and friendship, Bicke's life falls apart around him, and he seems helpless to change.We know he failed, but how did he reach that point? See the film and find out. 8/10
Pupkin or Bickle? No, Penn Creates His Own
posted on 18 May 2009I preface by saying that I am very partial to the great character studies of the late 60's through the 70's. And, having read reviews on this site before seeing "Assasination" I had some expectations for an experience like none since that era. I wasn't disappointed.I believe that Sean Penn is probably the only actor of his generation who could tackle this project. He is brilliant, and I don't say that about actors today. Of course, they don't make films like this anymore, so I can't say enough about how well everyone involved in this has done. IMO, Penn's performance evokes DeNiro's Rupert Pupkin character in "The King of Comedy" more than Travis Bickle. But I also feel that Penn has created his own lasting character here. I can't wait until this amazing piece of work is available on DVD. If you want to have a unique cinematic experience (or as close as you can get in today's Hollywood) and have the patience for something more than the same old tired blockbuster vehicles, SEE THIS ONE!
Sam Bicke and 9/11
posted on 08 May 2009It's striking that almost no one who's written about this film has commented on the similarity between Sam Bicke's plot and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Ever since 9/11 the Bush administration and the intelligence community have said they shouldn't be faulted for not anticipating the attacks because no one imagined anyone would ever hijack an airliner and use it as a weapon to destroy a building and kill those inside. Yet 27 years earlier someone had planned just that sort of an attack on a sitting U.S. president! Maybe we ought to fire the entire CIA and hire the membership of the Screen Writers' Guild to replace them
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
posted on 04 May 2009A good debut from co-writer and director Niels Mueller, who develops a gloomy scenario, where every glimmer of hope declines until finally resignation occurs. The story of how Sam Bicke came to plan to fly into the White House with a plane is portrayed extraordinary by Sean Penn. He plays a guy, where you know right from the start, something is going to end really bad here. Sam is just too good for this world, or at least that is how he would like to see himself, while he acts in very narrow-minded ways. Possibly, the problem is that he has lost (or never had?) a sense of reality, which comes out particularly clear in the way he tries to open up his own business or tries to win back his wife, played by Naomi Watts. No hope, no future.
A non demanding script to smooth the character study for Penn
posted on 28 Apr 2009As a docu-drama with a name not making any justice to the real point of the film, The Assassination of R.N. is no more than a perfect setup for Penn to exercise character development, which, refreshingly enough, had very interesting and sophisticated outcomes.A well told story, the film moves smoothly around the theme of somebody becoming bitter by been awaken from the American Dream by discovering that only the liar and the conformist can get ahead in life. By adorning clichés with Penn's dramatics, the movie won't give too much space to unexpected turns or twists in the plot (even the same script will flash back to get the obvious stated and out of the way on the first ten minutes) but it manages to keep your interest and has good rhythm.In my case, what I found most valuable in this film was how the characters were transformed into symbolic representations of what furthers or stalls a regular person's pursuit of happiness and how, at the end the non-literal and non-related is always more efficient in marking somebody's fate.
Penn's Extraordinary Work Carries a Bleak Portrait of a Real-Life Psychopath's Mental Descent
posted on 26 Apr 2009Sean Penn's scarifying, coiled-spring performance is the predominant force in first-time filmmaker Niels Mueller's fictionalized story of would-be assassin Samuel Byck, who became obsessed with killing then-President Nixon in 1974. Those who have seen Stephen Sondheim's musical "Assassins" will recognize Byck as one of its infamous characters. His name has been changed to "Bicke" in the chilling 2004 film version, but the basic skeleton of the true story remains. After losing his sales job, his wife and a government loan to start his own business, he became so paranoid that he decided to hijack an airliner and have it crash into the White House. The parallels to 9/11, especially the events recreated in Paul Greengrass' viscerally powerful "United 93", are obvious, but the bulk of this relentlessly downbeat film is about Bicke's descent into madness, one that Penn evokes with supple dexterity. In a performance that immediately recalls Robert DeNiro's (perhaps) coincidentally named Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese's 1976 classic, "Taxi Driver", Penn proves again to be among the most effectively risk-taking of actors.The screenplay itself, co-written by Mueller and Kevin Kennedy, reflects a more predictable storyline, most of which is a flashback. Showing apparent signs of a bipolar disorder, Bicke struggles with a life full of compromises and deludes himself into thinking he is an honorable man. His grand ideas of a thriving business and a loving marriage are at odds with reality, but instead of facing up to the challenges, he slides quickly from meekly pathetic to utterly pathological. He even thinks composer Leonard Bernstein is somehow his muse and writes him of his grand plans. The film's last ten minutes are eye-flinchingly realistic, but they provide the necessary denouement to a tragically misguided footnote in U.S. history. Beyond Penn, there is a trio of strong players used minimally in the film - Don Cheadle as Bickle's only friend and would-be partner Bonny and submerging their Aussie accents convincingly, a brunette Naomi Watts as Bickle's estranged waitress wife Marie and Jack Thompson appropriately greasy as his deceptively avuncular boss. The 2005 DVD provides a solid set of extras - an extremely informative commentary track from Mueller, a brief behind-the-scenes short, and several deleted scenes.
Why this movie is important at this point in history?
posted on 12 Apr 2009After seeing this movie I was left wondering why such a film was made. Also, why such high caliber cast and crew wanted to participate in giving the public such an intimate visit with a man in the last throes of a downward spiral into psychopathic dementia? On the face of it, this is a story of a pathetic loser; someone both individuals and society rolls over in vicious pursuit of profit, success, and glory, to mention but a few. What interest did the writer, director, or an actor of the caliber of Sean Penn believe that the ticket buying public would have in a character like Sam Bicke? Sam Bicke is the kind of man that clogs up the engines of commerce, causes families to fracture, and the social fabric to be rent and torn…but, usually, not so you would notice. No, the Sam Bickes of the world are usually quietly ostracized, marginalized and isolated like a germ in a Petri dish…identified, labeled, and then put in a place that will disallow any future contact or possible harm. Why would anyone be entertained by or feel that any good could come from the telling of Sam Bickes' story? My feeling was that this story, more than anything else, is timely. Given our current state of affairs with "terrorists" and how those persons become terrorists" this story is a study in just such a case. Western society has insulated itself from feeling any responsibility for or threat from within, i.e. one of our own becoming a "terrorist". Yet, here is the story of Sam Bicke, who, decades before the fanatical Islamists became synonymous with such terrorist tactics, decided to use terror as a tactic and, not just any tactic, but, a plot so similar to the 9/11 terrorists that it is hard to miss. It is important that we, both as individuals and as a society, begin to understand the psychology that leads to the kind of isolation and disillusionment that turns normal, law-abiding citizens into deranged psychopaths. What may be more important is that we see it not as something that takes place 'over there' or to 'those' people but, potentially to any one of us. To check ourselves from using 'fanatical religions' or 'those people over there' as something to which we point our fingers in blame and make ourselves explore the possibility that something may be inherently unjust in our social fabric, this movie is very important. As sheer entertainment, I would say that it is not so much.
Sean Penn delivers one of the definitive performances of our time
posted on 10 Apr 2009Penn once again proves that he is the finest actor of our generation with his haunting performance as Sam Bicke, a tortured loser who is finally pushed over the edge into insanity. The script of "Assassination" is not superior, but all one needs to do is concentrate on Penn to enjoy a rare movie-watching experience. The manner in which he slowly creeps closer and closer to his inevitable mental collapse is both painful and fascinating. Naomi Watts, Don Cheadle and Jack Thompson all deliver adequately in supporting roles, but it is hard to take your eyes off Penn. Though he's not an easy man to like, off-screen, Sean Penn must be ranked in the very highest echelon of movie actors.
A compelling film carried by its lead actor
posted on 06 Apr 2009"The Assassination of Richard Nixon" tells the alleged "mad story of a true man" who attempted to hijack an airplane and crash it into the White House to kill the United States president. From reading the plot description - especially post-9/11 - it sounds like the main character here would be a detestable one, but it is a testament to the skills of Sean Penn that he manages to make the character empathetic and realistic. It's also a testament to the strength of the filmmakers that they don't resort to cheap sentimentality to "force" the audience into sympathizing with Bicke.Sam Bicke (Penn) is a 44-year-old furniture salesman living a life as a "slave" to the corporate world. He wants to open his own business, but doesn't get a loan because his partner is black. His wife (Naomi Watts) is in the process of divorcing him and he is slowly losing contact with his three children. He detests his boss, he has no money, and he wants to be his own man. "Slavery never ended," he claims. "They just gave it a new name: employee." Bicke narrates his story in a series of letters to composer Leonard Bernstein, referring to him as "Mr. Bernstein" and "Maestro." Bernstein's own recordings of Beethoven's 4th and 5th piano concertos (aka "Emperor") make up the soundtrack of the film, which is eerie, tranquil and unsettling depending upon the scenes it underscores - it works really well.This is ultimately a film in the tradition of "Taxi Driver" and "The King of Comedy" that is an insight into the mind of an everyman who succumbs to the pressure of every day life and finally loses his mind. The movie manages to stand on its own as a picture without purposely drawing parallels to these other films, and the fact that Penn's character is named Bicke isn't a reference to Taxi Driver - after all, this is based on a true story. The real man's name was spelled "Byke," and even if some creative liberties were taken here, it's a solid film that is well-made and an effective portrayal of a man on the brink of madness.
chilling and dramatic exploration of the American Dream
posted on 19 Mar 2009This outstanding movie, probably underrated, is surely a well crafted drama and stars great actors; Sean Penn, perfect as always, in addition to Don Cheadle and Naomi Watts, who didn't cut a poor figure.. Besides it's an intelligent and creative character examination; Niels Mueller has tried and successfully managed to explore the American materialism through the eyes of a disillusioned middle-class man who crosses the line from exhausted and crazy to criminal. It somehow resembles Taxi Driver, despite not having the same traumatic impact. In conclusion the American Dream, not so rosy, is perfectly described by the fantastic Penn, as well as his reaction to ugliness, corruption and hypocrisy.
A psychotic politicized paranoia
posted on 19 Mar 2009A small film that has tremendously aged. In 1973-1974 a recently reelected president comes under fire for his Vietnamese policy that does not come to the end of the war in Vietnam, for his repressive policy, particularly against the Black Panther Party, for the Watergate scandal, and for his economic policy that is not producing the development that is expected. This is the story of a small salesman in an office furniture store who seems to be unable to cope with his job, with his business project, with the racist problem and with society at large. Little by little from neurotic he becomes psychotic and he has to impress his mark onto society, even against the will or the indifference of this society. In the hullabaloo around Nixon's scandals, Watergate and others, he decides to target that president. His assassination will never get close to approaching Nixon himself, which explains that no one knows about it, but it ends very badly. The film has a title that is supposed to lure people into being interested in it, though at the time it might have been felt as some kind of militant act against the crook of a president they had. But the film is a small budget something that never takes odd the tarmac.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines
An intelligent, absorbing film but will distance itself from some for being so heavy
posted on 24 Aug 2009STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits At first glance, TAORN seems like a bit of a Taxi Driver rip off and, indeed, there are many similarities between the two stories. But it's an excellent film on it's own and, to be fair, there are many similarities between the lead stars of both movies in terms of their acting style and approach to their roles (no wonder they seem to share a bit of a friendship in real life.) The story centres around Sam Bicke (Sean Penn). Sam's got a lot of problems. He's spoken down to and treated like dirt by his pretentious boss and colleagues at a small furniture sales store. He's separated from his wife and kids. And he lives in an America in the early 70s with a president in the shape of Richard Nixon, who he sees as nothing but a lying, corrupt nobody. Worn down and exasperated by the unfairness and despair he seems all around him, he begins writing what is practically a suicide note to the composer Bernstein, explaining to the only man he feels will understand him why he has been driven to mount an assassination attempt against Nixon that he begins towards the end of the movie by high-jacking a plane.I've just learned that the movie apparently took six years to make before they could get a budget to make it and the movie certainly does project a very cheap feel and look to it, but the less mainstream films like this are, the better.In the lead role, Penn projects his usual ol' misery guts persona (he's never the life and soul of the party in his films, is he?) but he still delivers an impressively raw, nervous, quietly angry, occasionally devastating portrayal of a man unable to live by the system anymore. He's helped by a good supporting cast in the shape of Naomi Watts, Don Cheadle (impressive as ever and building himself even further up) and in a very small scene Michael Wincott as his disgruntled brother.There's very little (hardly any) fun or light in the movie and this will distance it quite heavily from some. And this kind of film has been made before. But it's still an undeniably savvy and shattering stab at the American dream and how the system fails some. ****