wizzardss
Feb 17, 2021
5/10
Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, his Vice President, Lyndon B. Johnson, stepped up to take the main job. This biopic stars Woody Harrelson as Johnson, and tells the story of LBJ as Vice President under Kennedy.
Other than the tragic circumstances from which he inherited the role, when compared with his predecessor, JFK, and his eventual successor, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson had an uneventful presidency. LBJ digs into what made the man tick.
Like many political flicks - especially those released around an election (in this case Trump in 2016) - much of its content has to be taken with a pinch of salt but, in truth, it is difficult to see what story LBJ was trying to tell in the first place.
Johnson comes across as a confused individual, caught between his loyalties to his Southern heritage and his reluctant thrust into Kennedy's progressive administration, often jerking from a ruthless and power-hungry politician, to a sensitive and loyal husband.
The film attempts to concentrate on the Civil Rights movement, but oddly skirts over other defining issues such as Vietnam, giving it the feeling of an evening documentary with dramatic recreations.
Overall it is Harrelson - distracting and inaccurate makeup aside - that keeps the film together. His sombre portrayal of Johnson provides just enough charm to keep the film flowing, turning what would have otherwise been a drab documentary into appreciable entertainment.
Worth watching for a little more insight between the Kennedy and Nixon years.
