Death Of A President (2006)

A faux documentary broadcast in 2008 gives a news account, with talking head interviews, of the assassination of President George W. Bush on October 19, 2007. The fictional T.V. news broadcast relates how a hidden sniper fatally shot the president following an economic speech at the Chicago Sheraton Hotel, in front of which an anti-war rally was being held. A man of Syrian origins, Jamal Abu Zikri, becomes the prime suspect. Vice President Dick Cheney, promoted to president, uses the possible al-Qaeda connection of the suspect to push his own agenda. He calls for "PATRIOT Act III", giving the F.B.I., police, and other government agencies increased investigative powers on U.S. citizens and others, and contemplates an attack on Syria. But all is not as it seems as the investigation, which was under pressure to find the assassin, relied on dubious evidence even after another possible suspect is found, but this suspect couldn't have done it, could he? After all, he is American. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: Preexisting footage of President George W. Bush and CGI effects help to create the scenes of his assassination. The majority of the actors in the film were not told the premise of the movie. The working title for the film was "D.O.A.P.," and the actors were not told what the plot was, except for their specific scenes. The idea of the film received substantial criticism from those who believed the subject was exploitative and in bad taste. The Republican Party of Texas described the subject matter as "shocking" and "disgusting". U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) told the Journal News of Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties, New York, at the annual New Castle Community Day in Chappaqua, "I think it's despicable; I've never seen a movie so horrible in my life. I think it's absolutely outrageous. I mean, sure most people don't like Bush, but this is beyond bad. It's evil. That anyone would even attempt to profit on such a horrible scenario makes me sick". Co-screenwriter Simon Finch responded to the criticisms and said Clinton had not seen the film when she made her comments. The Bush Administration made no comment on the film. An extra named Robert Kramer, who appeared in the film as one of the ropeline extras during the assassination scene, asked to have his image edited out, alleging the filmmakers misled the actors as to the true intent of the pseudo-documentary.

Well, I'm back and what a way to restart the blog hmm? Death Of A President takes a look at the fictional future assassination of President Bush. To it's credit, it wasn't overtly political and didn't take an anti-Bush stance or anything like that that I was kind of expecting. And actually, it may have been better if it had been more political. It dealt with the events of October 19th leading up to the President being declared dead and the investigation that followed. It did not go into any detail concerning the political upheaval or even the world reaction that the assassination of a sitting U.S. President during time of war would have created. It also glossed over the whole reaction Americans would have had rather quickly. As for the movie itself, the use of stock footage was very good, one once did I notice that Dick Cheney's lips had been adjusted to say the name George Walker Bush instead of another name.