it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is an interesting film. Thirteen Days is, at times, independent and rebellious of common Hollywood tropes. Other times, it panders to the general public. The film was good, but conceptually contradictory. The obvious issue of the infamous 'Kevin Costner accent' did not bother me so much and there are powerful performances among the supporting cast, certainly Steven Culp. Bruce Greenwood delivered a noticeably dedicated performance, albeit uniquely deviant. They used several gimmicks, such as slow-motion, black-and-white, and filtered shots. All of these are fine, assuming they are utilized tactfully. But all three in the same film? Simultaneously? It's a hat on a hat on a hat and was distracting from the better aspects of Thirteen Days. Overall, when a film makes choices indicative of wanting to separate itself from the norm, but then also contrived and uninspired choices, it leaves an impression of fear, an unwillingness to fully commit. The arbitrarily selective liberties this film took could have left it dangerously close to pot-boiler status. Thirteen Days falls just short of greatness because it just couldn't get out of its own way. 7.5/10 — watching Thirteen Days (movie).

I was only a toddler during the crisis, but over the years I have read over 30 books about the JFK assassination and some of those talk about the Cuban Missile Crisis at length.The US was within hours of a nuclear war with the USSR and Kennedy's intelligence and calmness saved the day. The war hawks in the administration along with those with the same sentiment on Khrushchev's side kept ratcheting up their desire to go to war.After JFK was murdered, Khruschev mentioned that the chance of the Cold War ending died with JFK.I have loved this movie since its first release and enjoy watching it still today. A good history lesson for people that want to know more about Kennedy's presidency.As far as Costner's accent, to me it didn't hinder the movie at all. The story is the thing and the acting overall was top notch.

In October 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union were on the verge of war over Soviet missile installations in Cuba. Based on President John F. Kennedy's tapes and a script by David Self, Roger Donaldson's outstanding film, "Thirteen Days," effectively recreates that tense Cold War period. Told from the perspective of JFK's White House, including the president; his brother Robert, the Attorney General; and the Special Assistant to the President, Kenny O'Donnell; the film is largely dialog driven. Evidently based on actual conversations, cabinet meetings, and confrontations between the administration and the military, the proceedings have the ring of truth. Kevin Costner, who also co-produced, heads the cast as O'Donnell; his effective low-key performance communicates the stress of his unique job situation and the toll it takes on his family and private life. In one particularly effective scene, Costner stands outside a church, where a line of parishioners are waiting for confession; a sign says that confession is available throughout the night, and, after a pause, Costner joins the line.Bruce Greenwood and Steven Culp play John and Robert Kennedy, respectively; both actors bear a passing resemblance to the Kennedy brothers, and, with Boston accents, they quickly submerge themselves into their parts, and the leads are well supported by a cast of pros, who portray a who's who of Kennedy administration officials familiar to any Baby Boomer who lived through the Camelot era; among them, Dylan Baker as Robert McNamara, Michael Fairman as Adlai Stevenson, and Len Cariou as Dean Acheson are worth mentioning.Although the film's ending is already part of history, "Thirteen Days" remains engrossing, often tense, suspenseful, and fast paced. An excellent score by Trevor Jones punctuates the action, and the footage shifts from color to black and white in a seemingly arbitrary manner; however, whatever the intention, the shifts neither add nor detract from the movie. Stock footage depicts civil defense preparations, and shots of nuclear explosions foretell what could occur if the negotiations between the U.S. and the Soviets had failed. Donaldson avoids claustrophobia by cutting from the White House to action in the skies over Cuba and events at sea as the U.S. blockade of Cuba takes effect. An excellent film that is well made and well performed, "Thirteen Days" is more than a history lesson; it is a warning as well. The film would make a good double bill with Costner's earlier Kennedy movie, "JFK."

It's October, 1962, the Cuban missile crisis. Photos from the U-2 spy plane show possible nuclear missiles on Cuban soil. This sets off high level panic that almost ends with WWIII. The movie centers on the Special Assistant to the President, Kenny O'Donnell (Kevin Costner). The push from the military is for a full invasion of Cuba. However, the Kennedy brothers and Kenny push back.This is more like a brilliant stage play done with so much intensity that the audience is right there in the room. There are flashes of newsreels, CGI, and other footage to fill out the movie with the outside world. It is very much a political thriller inside the President's inner circle. It is tense despite the well known ending and event highlights. The use of Costner as a side character pushed out to be the lead is brilliant. It allows the best (but lesser known) actors in some of the most iconic roles around. Surprisingly, there are also flashes of humor. The acting is amazing. This is one of the best movies about those thirteen days.