All The King's Men

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All The King's Men

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All The King's Men

Anthony Hopkins, James Gandolfini, Jude Law, Patricia Clarkson, Sean Penn

An idealistic southern politician who appeals to the common man whilst effectively playing dirty politics slowly becomes corrupted by the system.

Id: 10892527

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All The King's Men Recent Reviews
  • mrpopcorn
    November 14, 2008
    mrpopcorn
    "Time brings all things to light."

    The legacy of a populist Southern politician whose lofty ambitions for the future leave him open to corruption and scandal is detailed as author Robert Penn Warren's thinly veiled portrait of Depression-era Louisiana governor Huey Long c...( read more)omes to the screen -- again -- this time courtesy of director and screenwriter Steven Zaillian. Willie Stark (Sean Penn) is a man of the people, and for the people; at least that's what he tells the people. Propelled into a race for governor by opposing forces looking to split the "hick vote," Stark is convinced by a handler -- as well as by young journalist Jack Burden (Jude Law) -- to not kowtow to the powers that be. His rhetoric grows fiery, and he makes his way into office on a not-so-solid foundation of social-service promises. When idealism gives way to the harsh realities of the time, however, the fast-talking politico is quick to discover just how far one can fall when ambition and power lead to a betrayal of one's original motivations. Kate Winslet, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins round out an all-star cast in this second version of Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 novel; the first won a parade of Oscars after its release in 1949.

    Review
    While this movie did contain a startling amount bad film clichés, including a "dark man in the shadows" bit, I think that the actors were about the only thing that made this film watchable. Penn was a bit over the top as Willie Stark, but it felt somewhat fitting, especially because he went more over the top as the character's mania increased. Jude Law, while exceedingly pretty, fit the character of the struggling debutante fairly well. Patricia Clarkson as Saide Burke far outshone the rest of the cast, and was really the only one that pulled off convincingly a Louisiana accent. Mark Ruffalo was underused and far out shown his traditional romantic comedy characters.

    There were parts of the movie that were distracting to the plot. The movie was overly melodramatic along with most of the music, which was at times distracting. James Gandolfini acted well but his accent was terrible. Kate Winslet was the least convincing of all cast members and often looked out of place. Worst of all, perhaps, is that the "morals" of the movie were so obvious and yet with the heaviness of the movie you felt empty for not achieving some deeper level of understanding.
  • ladyp1964
    July 27, 2008
    ladyp1964
    So awfully long and drawn out that it just totally bored me - in spite of Jude Law's presence lol
  • 76Majikat
    December 29, 2007
    76Majikat
    With an all star cast led by Sean Penn (who yet again pulls off a great performance), this film requires your full undivided attention. Based on the 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren this film is a political journey to the top and everything that is met along the way.
  • SilentWarProductions2009
    September 27, 2007
    SilentWarProductions2009
    Directed by: Steven Zaillian.
    Starring: Sean Penn, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, James Gandolfini, Patricia Clarkson.

    One of the biggest surprises in a film I have ever seen, even though I read the bad reviews, I thought to myself...'it has an A-list cas...( read more)t, intriguing premise and is written by Steven Zaillian, who in the past has written Schindler's List and The Interpreter'....what could go wrong?

    The film is based on Robert Penn Warren's novel, people see it as a remake because a film loosely based on the novel was made 60 years ago....it isn't. The film has all the qualities to be excellent....and falls very far short. The production values are high, the cinematography is amazing and the sets look authentic....but the film is extremely dull. Even with an intriguing premise, Steven Zaillian manages to badly string scenes together, throwing the pacing right off. The film goes for drama and thriller, yet it is over-dramatic and lacks in any thrills. The score is completely out of place, its like it realises that the scene is dull so it goes all over-dramatic to try and get a raise out of the audience. The cast is large and full of very talented people, yet no one really shines. I can't judge whether Sean Penn was badly cast or not, I never followed Wille Starks or knew what he was like, but his acting is over the top and along with the script, everything he says to the community is unconvincing and his 'meanings' are far from intelligent. Jude Law I think could have been great if he had the right script, but then again his accent wasn't the best, with his english accent sneaking its way through all the time.

    Overall the film was a complete letdown, it had all the ingredients to make a great film and yet it came out dull and unconvincing. Not recommended.
  • AgentLexi2132
    August 13, 2007
    AgentLexi2132
    FALL DOWN, humpty dumpty sympahvisers!
  • michaelcorleone
    December 22, 2009
    michaelcorleone
    Part of the reason for the brutally harsh reactions to this film is the fact that you can see the great picture buried inside of it. With a cast like this, anything but a staggering masterpiece would be ruthlessly criticized. Steven Zaillian's execution of the plot is loose and q...( read more)uicj, with a haphazard narrative thread and painfully forceful flashbacks. Having said that, the themes of the material are always prevalent, and there are plenty of scenes that are extremely powerful and effective. This is an exquisitely produced movie, with stunning cinematography and art direction. It also features an array of fantastic performances, particularly from Jude Law and Sean Penn. OVERacting is not automatically BAD acting, and I think Penn's work here is unfairly picked apart. He makes some miscalculations and goes for a large performance, both physically and vocally. But he turns in an expertly drawn character portrait that is consistently intriguing to watch. Despite its flaws, I find this film utterly absorbing. With its seductive aesthetic appeal and top-notch acting, it is a picture that can only be admired from a distance. I am a big fan of the original 1949 film, but this is a completely different adaptation of the source material that takes a totally new tonal approach.
  • magnolia12883
    November 16, 2009
    magnolia12883
    Steven Zaillian's film is a remake of the 50s political thriller based on a rather famous book. His 2006 version is the worst film of the year - which was saying something! Sean Penn stars as a Louisiana senator who is running for office. Observing his rise to power, this film is...( read more) like watching an overheated remake of "Triumph of the Will" - except Southern-fried and even more heavy-handed!Jude Law shows up as a journalist following the enterprising upstart politician, James Gandolfini is a betrayed constituant and, ultimately, political rival, Kate Winslet is a lovely girl who Law might like but who I cannot fathom the purpose of, and Anthony Hopkins is an old Welsh man collecting a paycheck to give bad line-readings in a train wreck that should've stayed on the studio shelf longer than the 1 year delay it did receive!Zaillian, the talented writer of many great films (including "Gangs of New York") has directed good films in the past ("Searching for Bobby Fischer" and "A Civil Action") but here he's way out of his depth. This was a doomed project and, we can only hope, a film made to be murdered. Take it and cut it up to use as ukelele picks or something! And send Zaillian to Director's Prison while you're at it. Don't let the man direct or produce a project until he can pick up a camera and aim it at something worth a split-second of acknowledgement for the love of all that is HOLY!!!
  • marjdomingo1
    November 1, 2009
    marjdomingo1
    If the system is deeply flawed, whoever would attempt to change it will be instead drawn and be absorbed into it
  • kockaja
    September 26, 2009
    kockaja
    Great cast, but movie was boring. I liked the ending though.
  • SirGenius
    September 24, 2009
    SirGenius
    How the F@#% ok I guess.
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