BOBBY as written and directed (and starring) Emilio Estevez is not simply a recreation of the fateful night June 6, 1968 when Bobby Kennedy was shot, though that event is meticulously dissected as the sun dawns on Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel on that day. This film is a series of vignettes of the lives of many people (22 examples shine) whose hope for a better future than that of a country undergoing disintegration on many levels were shattered. It is about 'little people', people with choices whose responses to the death of a hero is devastating.

Racism (Christian Slater vs Laurence Fishburne vs interaction with Freddy Rodríguez and Jacob Vargas); hippie/white collar drug abuse (Ashton Kutcher dealing LSD to Brian Geraghty and Shia LaBeouf, Demi Moore's alcoholism defeating her marriage to Emilio Estevez and career as a lounge singer); aging and the problems of 'useless old people' (Harry Belafonte and Anthony Hopkins); adultery (hotel manager William Macy married to beautician Sharon Stone yet having an affair with switchboard operator Heather Graham); marriages teetering on commercialism (Martin Sheen and Helen Hunt); young political aspirants basing futures on RFK (Joshua Jackson and Nick Cannon); and the extremes to which young men will go to avoid being sent to Vietnam (Elijah Wood and Lindsay Lohan) - these are the main characters we get to know as they prepare for the evening's party for RFK and then suffer the explosive effect of the shooting by Sirhan Sirhan (David Kobzantsev). The power of the film lies in the impact Bobby Kennedy had on all of these people who represent the rest of a nation.

Estevez wisely uses film footage from life to project the speech and presence of RFK: using an actor to depict him would have made the effect less sharp. But in the end, as it seems apparent from Estevez' script, the power comes from the messages in the voice-over of Kennedy's own speeches, words to offer hope and a chance for resolution of the many conflicts that threatened to destroy the US. Would that there were minds with such thoughts speaking today when a leader is so desperately needed! The film has flaws (it would be difficult for a two hour enactment of a well known yet partially fictionalized incident not to). But the message is pungent and clear: we MUST care for each other as a country and forgo the alienation that is so rampant. A very fine film for thought. Grady Harp

It's June 4, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in L.A. Robert F. Kennedy is running for President. It's his campaign headquarters. The movie follows various characters in the hotel leading up to the momentous assassination. This is reminiscent of the classic 'Grand Hotel' which is mentioned in the movie. Written, directed and staring Emilio Estevez, this movie is following way too many characters and stories. None of them stand out and none of them has enough time anyways. There are a few compelling scenes but they're buried underneath a pile of other random scenes. The recreation of Bobby's walk through the kitchen is very effective. If only the rest of the movie has that kind of compelling tension. The cast is first rate although some of them can't leave their movie star quality behind to blend into the scenes.

On June 4th, 1968, the lives of the staff and guests in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles are very tough due to the California presidential primary. Senator Robert F. Kennedy is in campaign and will give a speech in the hotel in the end of the day, and people are excited with his presence. After the celebration of his victory, the senator is shot with other persons in the kitchen and dies.

Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, "Bobby" is impressive in many aspects. The first one is the excellent screenplay, showing the lives of more than twenty characters in an objective way in less than two hours, recalling the style of Robert Altman inclusive the camera work. The story is directed and related to the North America history and culture, but is very well developed in a perfect language. The constellation of star is certainly the second point that calls the attention. There are very few movies with the participation of such number of great actors and actresses, and most of them in lead roles, split very fairly. The music score, with classics from the 60's, is the third point that deserves to be highlighted. The speech of Robert Kennedy about violence is ahead of time and applicable in the present days. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Bobby"