Woody Harrelson takes the oath of office after a devastatingly dark day, in Rob Reiner’s latest political drama ‘LBJ’. After powerful Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (Harrelson) loses the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to Senator John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan), he agrees to be his young rival’s running mate. But once they win the election, despite his extensive legislative experience and shrewd political instincts, Johnson finds himself sidelined in the role of vice president. That all changes on Nov. 22, 1963, when Kennedy is assassinated and Johnson, with his devoted wife Lady Bird (Jennifer Jason Leigh) by his side, is suddenly thrust into the presidency. As the nation mourns, Johnson must contend with longtime adversary Attorney General Bobby Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David) and one time mentor Georgia Senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins) as he seeks to honor JFK’s legacy by championing the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964. ‘LBJ’ is rated R for adult language.
One of the things with a story is that if it has even an ounce of truth in its range, it is that much easier to believe and engage in. Along comes ‘LBJ’ (and I don’t mean Lebron James), a political comedy depicting President Johnson’s brief time in and around the White House. Reiner’s film might not have most genuine of accuracies in terms of tone or historical fact, but it does make for one entertainingly educational depiction towards arguably one of the most misunderstood presidents in United States history. Coming off of the heels of a film like ‘Jackie’ from last year, ‘LBJ’ casts the story on the other end of the political shoe with President Kennedy’s untimely death, and how it effected the way that Johnson’s constituents and his country viewed him as a successor. It’s clear that Reiner knows the place and value of each president respectfully, and because of such this feels like the first time when a film has delved into the man behind the desk with the kind of appreciation that sets the story straight.
The narrative spins back and forth between the past and that fateful day in Dallas where the lives of many involved in this campaign changed for better or worse. Films these days are spinning these dual narratives often, adding a layer of complexity to its story that doesn’t feel necessary, nor does it add any kind of unfolding complexion to what is at stake. But in ‘LBJ’ it feels like a requirement in building up the kind of movements in pivotal chess pieces that led us to the finish line in the race that casts extra emphasis in what can be leveraged at any moment. It’s also a prime opposition in production against the limited runtime of the film that causes more problems than benefits. More on that in a minute. The transitions can be slightly rough, mainly because there are times later on in the hospital when these sequences tend to rub together with that of what is going on with the past chapters. The background exposition also stops in the most random of spots without much declaration, and we suddenly find that the remainder of the 35 minute runtime left will be spent in the present day of 1963, missing out on bridging the gap between landmark bills being passed that paved the way for some issues that pop up later on.
It’s clear that even early on in the film that Reiner knows how different in upbringing, as well as intelligent as a strategist that Johnson was in getting the things done. The film depicts him as sort of this brains behind the beauty that was Kennedy’s winning campaign of 1960, working as the middle man between the rising tensions of the north and south that were at bay because of the Civil Rights Act that way literally months from being passed. Johnson cleverly works both sides not to any form of deceit, but to smooth out the positions of each stance, and bringing us together to work towards one common goal. The film’s precision in tone as a comedy also does wonders in keeping the very entertaining factor to ‘LBJ’ always at its peak, focusing on Johnson outside of the house as this everyday joe who may have skipped a day or two at etiquette school. This makes our protagonist more of a natural for the silver screen, combing through a combination of political banter and self-empathetic personality in isolation by the Kennedy’s and their staff that makes him ideal for a protagonist of this magnitude.
Credit majorly goes to the ensemble cast who each preserve an air of mountain-like personality to their depictions of these historical figures. Harrelson proves that he hasn’t lost a step with age, commanding Johnson as a lover at home, but a fighter in the ring of gritty politics. His performance is almost mesmerizing as his commitment to detail in walking, as well as speech patterns accurately pumps life back into Lyndon that makes him feel like one with the world again. When I think of Woody Harrelson, I don’t see him as Johnson, but I’ll be damned if the work of enhanced prosthetics to the nose and ears of the actor didn’t completely immerse him in the role as the 36th president of the United States. In addition to Harrelson, the work of Richard Jenkins, Michael Stahl-David, and Jeffrey Donovan round out a respectable group of performances that each add a layer of prestige to the gears that Harrelson is turning. Jenkins is possibly my favorite, as his racist southern governor clashes with Johnson on more than a few occasions, bringing forth two great actors bouncing off of one another with such subtle threat hiding beneath the soft tones that each are conjuring up for our delight in tense negotiation tactics.
Perhaps the biggest issue that weighs the film down in presentation is the minisclue runtime that does little to no favors to the versatility of its material. This feels like a film that should rightfully be a two hour presentation. From it’s dual narrative, to its abrupt ending that crops and frames a short amount of time to LBJ’s presidency that doesn’t exactly show the reasons why he alienated himself towards the end of his term, Reiner’s movie pushes for more right before it ends, leaving us without a biopic that provides the fall for the overly anticipated rise. Another big problem is in some horrendous ADR that I still can’t believe got by post-production. Two scenes in particular stand out to me; the first is a conversation between Johnson and Bobby Kennedy represented by a wide shot angle to hide awful lip movements with its audio, and a speech at the end of the film by Johnson that shows his lips moving with nothing coming out. This gives ‘LBJ’ a kind of polarizing aspect to its production that feels anything other than the Rob Reiner filmography in class that we’re used to.
THE VERDICT – ‘LBJ’ overcomes the complacent biopic drama treatment that other less films become saddled with. Through the sharp performances of the main cast, as well as the educational third dimension in material for one of America’s most forgettable presidencies, Reiner plows through the poignancy thoroughly with supreme entertaining value. With a half hour further, the film could’ve been a possible Oscar contender, but its air-tight finished product just doesn’t have enough pledge to its promise of the entire picture, and because of such, it comes across like satire instead of specifics.
7/10