Attentat auf Richard Nixon

The comparisons are unavoidable. This film is like a poor man’s Taxi Driver, but lacking the depth, urgency and bleakness, as well as the believability of the main character's transformation into a man determined to commit the most horrific act. I understood De Niro more in Scorsese's opus. However, I won't deny that I got a big chill at the final emotional climax and I would never have believed that Sean Penn, the big guy and the rebel, could play a downtrodden nobody so brilliantly. (14.09.2006)

I can't get rid of the impression that the film, in which the radical leftist and uncompromising troublemaker Sean Penn appears in the lead role according to American standards, was supposed to be primarily one of the reactions to September 11 and deal with the roots of terrorism, but above all, it was supposed to be a drama about the end of the American dream and criticism of the system. However, this clearly does not succeed because the main protagonist is as likable as diarrhea and the lion's share of his actions is driven by his self-centeredness, hastiness, and inability to empathize. It is not a story of individual rebellion against unjust conditions, but a story of fatal personal failure. This was supposed to be a tragicomedy about a non-conformist individual in a too-conformist environment, and the film does work in the first half where it directly touches on this aspect, as evidenced by the humiliating behavior of the arrogant boss or the desperate attempts of the protagonist to adapt to company rules. However, the story soon deviates and gets messy. Sean Penn delivers his standard performance, which means in his case a remarkable study of an individual on the edge. Overall impression: 65%. (23.10.2010)

A fairly suggestive and raw film, supported mainly by Sean Penn's fantastic performance. Whether you like it or not, he truly belongs among the best contemporary actors. However, the screenplay is rather weak, and the nicely portrayed 1970s, with everything that comes with it, is wasted due to the flatness and simplicity of the plot. The dialogues are mostly clever and effective, and several scenes literally become an exhibition of Penn's performance. Yet, despite its relatively short running time, the film is slow and feels somewhat clumsy. The depressing atmosphere is brilliantly achieved, and the final desperate action is skillfully shot. (30.06.2006)

Ein sehr glaubhafter und sehr trauriger Film. Vor allem dank Sean Penn, der perfekt ist, und dank der Tatsache, dass die Missstände, die in den USA der 70er Jahre kritisiert werden, auch heute noch verdammt aktuell sind. Leider. Die Geschichte von Samuel Bicke (der in Wirklichkeit Byck hieß) spielt sich langsam ab. Sie ist aber nicht langweilig, weil es immer etwas zu sehen gibt. Filme mit Antihelden in der Hauptrolle mag ich nicht besonders. Dieser Möbelverkäufer tat mir aber wirklich leid. Also bis auf die unvermeidlichen letzten fünfzehn Minuten. Sie sind zwar fantastisch aufgenommen und gespielt, der erste Schuss hat aber alle Sympathien begraben. (24.07.2011)

Did you know that someone wanted to assassinate Richard Nixon? I must admit, I am still amazed that someone didn't actually attempt it. A case that should have been close to success does not exist, but there was still a man who decided to give it a try. And he would go straight into it with an airplane. Several decades before the Arab terrorists, he would hijack a plane full of people and crash it right into the White House. A great plan, but something was missing - sanity. Sam Bicke is an unsuccessful man. He fails on all fronts where it is possible. He has a relationship with his wife that cannot even be called separate bedrooms. They simply have separate apartments. However, he lives under the assumption that it is only temporary and everything will be resolved in time. Even at work, he doesn't have it easy. His boss is a classic small shark who tries to exploit the customer, but at the same time acts like Saint Peter at the gates of heaven. Sam doesn't have the necessary assertiveness, he doesn't have the strength, but he tries to change a little. He learns new techniques, he has some ideas in his head. He would like to revive the old family tire business because that is the future. He even has a whole business plan, he just needs to wait for the bank's approval for a loan. In his head, he sees the future as rosy, but everything is against him. When we realize what the film is actually about, we soon realize that it is just a deep plunge of an individual into the darkness of their own soul. "The Falling" without tension, but with a great performance by Sean Penn. Unfortunately, the film falls with the fact that it is a true event, but it is portrayed in a way that we follow the main character as everything collapses for him. The problem with him is that even the viewer cannot find a connection to him. Sam is not a pleasant character to identify with. You will only have the feeling that the world is simply unfair, but it is not worth fooling around and trying to kill presidents because of it. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/11/sahara-stormbreaker-syriana-andelsky.html (02.03.2013)