"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.
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.