While the biggest name in the movie is Kevin Costner, Thirteen Days is a real team effort.
Whenever an actor takes on a recognisable historical figure like JFK, it often feels like a facsimile - all the attention is on approximating the person’s most recognisable external characteristics.
Eschewing makeup and the familiar accent, Bruce Greenwood might not look or sound like JFK, but he works for the movie. He brings a flinty intelligence and sense of authority that anchors the ensemble.
Steven Culp feels like a closer match for Robert Kennedy, but he never feels like a facsimile.
Thirteen Days was directed by New Zealand/Australian filmmaker Roger Donaldson, famous for films as varied as Smash Palace, No Way Out and Cocktail.
There is a sturdy craftsmanship to the direction that ensures the various administration machinations are easy to follow.
Released at the end of the nineties, Thirteen Days now feels like a warning.
One of the key layers of tension is the disconnect between the military brass and the civilians responsible for overseeing their actions. The most suspenseful scenes is McNamara trying to pull an admiral away from escalating the standoff with the Soviet convoy.
It always feels like the institutions meant to protect the state are the ones most agitating for action.
Thirteen Days ends up as a tribute to calm heads in tense times, but it is hard not to read Kennedy's struggles as a temporary (and geographically limited) deviation from American escalation.
A fine drama on its own merits, Thirteen Days is worth a look.
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