All the King's Men (2006)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The 1949 version of this story may not have been a masterpiece, but it's certainly a better piece of film-making -- and much better acted -- than this disappointing, sloppy, and comparatively dull remake. Whether or not it's more or less faithful to the novel is besides the point -- this is a MOVIE and it should work as a movie. Penn borders on the grotesque, Law looks like he needs sleep, Clarkson will never win an Oscar for this as McCambridge did in the original because her role seems to have been left on the cutting room floor to make room for more Penn. Important scenes are just sloughed off in non-dramatic fashion so that it's almost like a parody at times. See the original!

This movie saddens me. The cast is great, performances great, locations and camera work all great. There are multiple problems with the movie though. First, it misses the boat on it's subject. Gov. Huey P. Long was one of the most colorful political figures of any age. Sean Penn gives a great portrayal of Long (despite having his wardrobe all wrong) but the movie veers away from his story and concentrates too much on Jude Law's character. While Law's character is interesting, it feels like the movie is more about him than Long. Secondly, why take one of the most compelling true political stories of all time and turn it into a work of fiction? For instance, this movie has Long being shot in the state capitol on the day of his impeachment hearing. In reality, Long had already moved on to the Senate when he was shot down. All the right elements were in place here except an accurate story. It is a disgrace that this movie shares the same title as the superior 1949 movie with Broderick Crawford. Watch it instead.

Jack Burden (Jude Law) is a Louisiana newspaper reporter. Willie Stark (Sean Penn) is the parish treasurer for the small town of Mason City. He is tired of the rampant corruption and isn't running again. Then a schoolhouse collapse brings Stark back but this time to run as governor with the help of political operator Tiny Duffy (James Gandolfini). Burden knows that Stark is only there to split the poor crackers' votes. After political strategist Sadie Burke (Patricia Clarkson) let the cat out of the bag, Stark goes populist hick against Duffy and the upper class. Stark wins by a landslide and he is confronted by the elite. Stark hires Burden as an adviser after he quit the newspaper. Duffy now works as the lieutenant governor. Sugar Boy (Jackie Earle Haley) is his scary driver. Burden's godfather Judge Irwin (Anthony Hopkins) is very influential and joins the effort to impeach Stark. Stark assigns Jack to find some dirt on Irwin. Brother and sister Adam (Mark Ruffalo) and Anne Stanton (Kate Winslet) are Burden's childhood friends and the upper class children of a former governor. Stark's womanizing ways starts with Sadie Burke, everyone wearing a skirt, and eventually Burden's first love Anne Stanton.This movie is all style but no energy. Everybody is putting in a heavy effort. The direction is weighted down. The movie sinks under all that heaviness. The dialog is tedious and spoken as if the world depends on it. There is no life in either Steven Zaillian's directions or script. The story moves so slowly that Zaillian may have been lost in the grandness of the attempt. Sean Penn and James Gandolfini are all mannerisms and impersonations. I guess Sean Penn's overacting can be excused because of the character. It doesn't make it any more appealing. Jude Law is surprisingly lifeless. It's just all so tired.

I just can't imagine how this film did not generate more money at the box office. Look at the star-studded cast: Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, just to name a few. You have three Oscar winners in that crop of stars. I mean on name recognition alone more people should have gone to see it. Penn did a great job in his role as Willie Stark. Penn is an avid political activist and it was great to see him play a politician in one of his films. His role as Harvey Milk was better than this but still the Willie Stark character was one that no one else would have played better. I had to read the book for an English class back in high school and I have to say that while the book was better, the film was great as well. The film has an interesting storyline just like the book and each character in the film plays the one that they should have played. Anthony Hopkins was great as Judge Irwin but it was quite different to see Hopkins play someone other than a villain. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone has an interest in politics and is a fan of Penn's because he really played this part incredibly well.