Just how close did we come to destroying our planet in the early 1960s? What exactly stopped it and who can we thank for letting our way of life continue? Furthermore, what exactly was the “Cuban Missile Crisis”? In “13 Days” you find out.

Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, and new-comer Steven Culp star in “13 Days”. The film is presented as a look at the 13 day period surrounding what was unknown in U.S. history as the “Cuban Missile Crisis”. Basically the historical tale chronicles the struggle between U.S. President John F Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) and the Soviet Union as they politically fought over missiles being deployed on to the Communist island nation of Cuba. President Kennedy’s chief aids during that crisis were Kenny O'Donnell (Kevin Costner) and his brother Robert Kennedy (Steven Culp).

This film itself focuses primarily on JFK, Bobby and Kenny. I liked its documentary approach to the subject matter which will really appeal to history buffs. The film’s feel reminded me a lot of this year’s “The Contender” but the director was able to turn it up a notch which really impressed me. Even though you are familiar with the subject matter, the intensity is still very evident. In some cases you could probably cut it with a knife. I also loved how the daily countdown brought a lot of extra tension to the events. It is a pretty amazing layout.

The cinematic experience that is “13 Days” also reminded me a lot of the great historical films that have been presented on TNT over the years. That is a huge compliment since those films are continuing to be regarded as the best historical films of the past decade.

I also loved director Roger Donaldson’s unique camera perspectives. He did some camera tricks I have never seen in a film of this kind. There is one scene where Costner closes the door and then as he turns we enter a whole new scene. When you see this movie let me know if you think that is cool too. I know I love little gimmicks like that.

The small failures with this film lie mainly in Kevin Costner. This actor looks like he is all washed up. He delivers his lines in a really pushed accent that may irritate some viewers. As the film continues, Costner’s bleak performances is drowned out by the vigorous performances of Greenwood and Culp who definitely show they are a huge step beyond Costner presently. I loved Culp and was excited to see that this was his second attempt at playing Bobby Kennedy. He also played the younger Kennedy in the film “Norma Jean and Marilyn”.

The final small failure I saw was in the transition between black-and-white (B&W) and color. Why were some of the blandest scenes in B&W? I mean they should have accented the scenes that were shown on TV during the actual events as B&W. That kind of emphasis would have greatly the film.

Placing aside these minor flaws, “13 Days” is an excellent re-telling of those historical events that almost ended a planet.

(4 of 5) So Says the Soothsayer.

If you are not familiar with the “Cuban Missile Crisis” than I would suggest checking out this website which gives a lot of details and fascinated me a lot after seeing the film. The site is called the “The National Security Archive” and is based out of George Washington University.

http://www.hfni.gsehd.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/cuba_mis_cri.html