All the King's Men (2006)

Director:

Steven Zaillian

Writers (WGA):

Steven Zaillian (screenplay)
Robert Penn Warren (novel)

Release Date:

22 September 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Time brings all things to light.

Plot:

Based on the Robert Penn Warren novel. The life of populist Southerner Willie Stark, a political creature loosely based on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana.

Plot Keywords:

Louisiana | Governor | Political | Politician | Mistress

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Willie Stark
Jude Law	...	Jack Burden
Anthony Hopkins	...	Judge Irwin
Kate Winslet	...	Anne Stanton
Mark Ruffalo	...	Adam Stanton
Patricia Clarkson	...	Sadie Burke
James Gandolfini	...	Tiny Duffy
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Sugar Boy
Kathy Baker	...	Mrs. Burden
Talia Balsam	...	Lucy Stark
Travis Champagne	...	Tom Stark (as Travis M. Champagne)
Frederic Forrest	...	Willie's Father (as Frederic F. Forrest)
Paul Desmond	...	Slade
Kevin Dunn	...	Alex
Thomas McCarthy	...	Editor (as Tom McCarthy)

Also Known As:

Das Spiel der Macht (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for an intense sequence of violence, sexual content and partial nudity.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41471) | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:12 | Finland:K-11 | UK:12 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Brazil:16

Filming Locations:

Albania Plantation - 1842 LA 182 E., Jeanerette, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Writer/director Steven Zaillian never saw the original film, and adapted the screenplay solely from Robert Penn Warren's novel.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the first scene with Willie and Lucy talking to Jack, Willie and Lucy are drinking Orange Pop with clear bottles, but when the shot changes the bottles change to brown glass bottles.

Quotes:

Jack Burden: To find something, anything, a great truth or a lost pair of glasses, you must first believe there would be some advantage in finding it. I found something a long time ago, and have held on to it for grim death ever since. I owe my success in life to it; it put me where I am today. This principle: what you don't know, won't hurt you. They called it idealism in a book I read.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Worst of 2006" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Si tu vois ma mere

The Best film of the year....with or without critic support.

After seeing the trailer for this film roughly two months ago, I was excited to see the entire movie. The only downside seemed to be that it was one of many that were an obvious attempt to get an Oscar out of it. But that's the norm this time of year.

I was later surprised to see so many begin to trash this film left and right. I actually watched the trailer again to be sure I still wanted to see it. It still looked decent to me. Maybe it was because I'd never seen the original. Maybe it actually was a horrible remake. Plus after seeing and hating the much trashed Black Dahlia, I figured I should consider passing on making the same mistake twice.

But no, there I was on the opening day, hoping this wasn't going to be another Dahlia. And it was nowhere near it. It was incredible. The score is outstanding, the much attacked directing was very strong, and Sean Penn gave one of his three best performances he's ever given.

Jude Law as the press writer/associate is very good. But his narration is weak and not needed as often as it's used. Patricia Clarkston is solid, but not anything of great note. I'm actually glad they didn't focus too much on her feelings of scorn towards state hero/villain Willie Stark (Sean Penn). Much better to keep the movie focused on Penn and Law, who surprisingly work well together.

The accents were only hard to take in the first words of (the miscast) James Gandolfini, who plays Tiny (not so tiny) Duffy, a very crooked crook. But his voice grows on you eventually. I think it was more the familiarity with his voice as Tony Soprano (tv character) that threw me off.

And in a scene where Willie attempts to (very poorly) sing a promotional song for himself. That really should have been left on the cutting room floor.

The only overall complaint I would mention is that for once, I'd like to see a Southern movie actually use predominantly Southern actors. Penn, Law, (the not mentioned by me, but very good) Anthony Hopkins, and Clarkston are all great in their roles. But only one of them (Clarkston from Lou.) is Southern. In fact, when you add love interest Kate Winslet into the equation, three of the main six characters are British. That shouldn't be.

But all that aside, this movie far surpasses any other I've seen this year. And actually puts Hollywoodland, which I enjoyed, to shame. Steven Zaillian has made an outstanding film, that is receiving a very unfair treatment in the press.