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All The King's Men

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

Directed by: Steven Zaillian

RS: 1.5of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 2of 4 Stars

2006 Sony Pictures Drama

Overthought, overwrought and thuddingly underwhelming, this high-profile misfire makes a congealed gumbo out of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer-winning 1946 novel and the Oscar-winning 1949 movie that followed it, sinking a classy cast in the goo. Sean Penn is dynamite as Willie Stark, the Louisiana politician (modeled on Huey Long) who makes it to the governor's mansion on the votes of his fellow "hicks," but the film's fuse just won't light.

A big surprise, because James Carville, who knows his way around the wonk hothouse, spearheaded the project. But in updating this tale of how and why power corrupts, from the Depression to the 1950s, writer-director Steve Zaillian (A Civil Action) replaces grit with grandiosity, shooting Willie's speeches like Nazi rallies. Miscasting also hurts. Jude Law in the pivotal role of Jack Burden, the newspaperman who works for Willie and loses his soul in the bargain, never looks as persuasively damaged as John Ireland did in the first movie. The fake Southern accent also defeats him, as it does Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins and especially James Gandolfini, who all figure in Willie's rise and fall. And New Orleans-born Patricia Clarkson, who delivers solidly as Willie's press wrangler, brings an authenticity to her role that emphasizes what the others sorely lack. But why go on? Talented people can screw up because, unlike hacks, they take big risks. This time the risk doesn't pay off.

PETER TRAVERS

(Posted: Sep 21, 2006)

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All The King's Men

Review 1 of 3

2of 4 Stars

It pains me much to write this review. One of the most anticipated fall movies of the past two years has just fallen way below expectation. It's even more suprising when you consider the factors: as source material you have a Pulitzer-prize winning novel about the rise and fall of an honest-to-god American politician, you have a 1949 oscar-winning drama based on the book you're also writing about, you have a fantastic cast from the likes of British wonder Kate Winslett to the madness of Sean Penn, and last but not least you have one of the most heralded writers of the 90's, Steve Zaillian, writing the script and directing for you. How can anything go wrong? This would be the question I kept asking myself as I was slowly but surely put out by this movie. It can't be the beginning, no that's too good, and the script flows like water, it clearly shows that Zaillian has lost none of his knack for writing since Schindler's List. The problem then would have to be the cast. Not to say there aren't some good performances: Jude Law greatly impresses with his subtle wit and passion and Sean Penn hits some great notes when he launches into a trademark politico speech. No, the problem is that the cast is given far to little to work with. Sean Penn barely even rises to become the dictator-like Willie Stark, governor of Louisiana, before he begins to fall, and Jude Law's character is almost wholly corrupt for no good reason, not to mention Kate Winslett and Mark Ruffalo as winsome siblings seemingly lost on the road to adulthood. These characters are among some of the most loathsome in recent movie history. Everyone spirals around Stark to do his bidding, save Anthony Hopkins in all of his grandfatherly goodness, and the movie could care less why they do it. It doesn't even try to attract us on an emotional level. No, it's far to good to be a drama, it wants to be a black-hearted parable. Well fine, but first you have to show some energy, some structure, some depth, something other than intelligent dialogue. Much like The Black Dahlia or even this summer's Lady In The Water, All the King's Men collapses under the strain of it's own fiery importance and melodrama without even once really giving us a reason to love it.

Mar 3, 2007 15:29:10

Review 2 of 3

1of 4 Stars

Absolutely agree - very overthought and underwhelming - apparently they were overcome with Sean Penn's self importance.

It's a shame, with such great actors and great material. My granfather was in tennessee politics and said Huey Long was an absolute force of nature, incredibly powerful and amoral.

The whole presentation was ponderous.......

Oct 4, 2006 06:01:55

Review 3 of 3

4of 4 Stars

Sean Penn's performance is worth the price of admission. Interesting style, acting solid. Everything else is just splitting hairs. Good lesson in the history of money and politics. Ain't nothing new happening today!

Sep 22, 2006 19:41:47

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