Death of a PresidentDVD Review

Starring Hend Ayoub, Brian Boland, Becky Ann Baker, Robert Mangiardi, Jay Patterson

Directed By Gabriel Range
Lions Gate
Rated R

There are films that make us laugh out loud, or evoke our emotions enough to make us cry. There are those films which tell us a nice story about a period of time or keep us on the edge of our seats in suspense. There are even those films which tell us the biographical story of an important person in History, and there are those movies which are meant to educate us. Then there are those films which make us say "wow" and leave us with an almost guilty feeling as if we have been caught staring through the living room window of a stranger's home. Death of a President is an example of one such film.

The basic premise of the movie is that it is a documentary which takes place several years after President George W. Bush has been assassinated while attending a political rally in Chicago. Watching this movie, you feel like you are watching a Dateline or 48 Hours television news special. You are treated to interviews from the President's staff as well as Secret Service Agents who were on duty and police officers from Chicago.

You also are able to follow along as the investigation into the assassination unfolds. Interviews with FBI crime scene techs and potential witnesses as well actual suspects all make for a compelling story. There is also news footage and computer graphics showing how the assassin was able to get to the President. The whole thing is done exactly like it would be if the events of this film actually transpired.

Death of a President stars a completely unknown cast. As a matter of fact I had never heard of any of them. They are all so believable however; you forget they are actors. You actually think you are watching a real life documentary. This whole film is so eerily true to news special form, I had to stop the film and remind myself that what I was watching was only a movie.

Directed by Gabriel Range who also helped write and produced the film, Death of a President, definitely has left his mark on the film industry. Those in the know need to stand up and take notice of Mr. Range because with such a flawlessly shot film of this kind of controversial nature, there is no telling what he will try his hand at next.

The DVD does not offer much in the way of extras. There is of course the Director's and filmmakers' commentary option. Other than that the only real special feature worth mentioning is the interviews with Gabriel Range, Simon Finch, and Brad Thumin where they discuss the film, how it was made, and why they decided on this subject matter.

Death of a President is not a film for everyone. There are those who will be immediately turned off simply because of the subject, and this is a shame. It does work as a decent political thriller, but its message is larger than that. It touches on such important concepts of racism and exactly how much of our freedoms are we willing to give up in the name of security. Director Range has done a masterful job of utilizing an unknown cast and weaving one of the most realistically shot movies I have ever seen. For news junkies and those who consider themselves to be politically savvy or for those who like to stay up with current events around the world, then this film is a must for you. For the casual movie going audience however, Death of a President, may be a little much as this is not a movie you will sit down and watch over and over again for entertainment purposes.