All The King's Men (www.the-usher.com)

"I am just like you"

When man of the people Willie Stark (Penn) is elected governor of the Louisiana, he instantly makes enemies of the rich and influential. Pushing through reforms, new taxes and an audacious public spending programme, his aggressive approach lead to the state's most powerful men and businesses pushing for his impeachment. With everyone positioning against him, the governor employs reporter Jack Burden (Law) to find dirt on retired Judge Irwin (Hopkins), the most significant man leading the impeachment push.

Hollywood fascination with remaking movies continues but can 'All the King's Men' bring anything new to the Pulitzer Award winning novel?

Steven Zaillian's version of Robert Penn Warren's beloved American classic makes this the second time that 'All the King's Men' has been adapted to the silver screen. Moving from its original 1930s setting and into the 50s, the theme of corruption in politics is one that resonates whatever decade it takes place in and the story of Louisiana Governor Willie Stark is one that tries to draw you in.

Told from the perspective of reporter Jack Burden, the story traces the rise of Willie Stark, based loosely on real Louisiana governor Huey Long, from door to door salesman to charismatic man of the people. Changed with trying to find some dirt on his godfather, retired Judge Irwin, Burden's journey takes him back into his own past and into the lives of his childhood friends Anne and Adam Stanton. With political shenanigans aplenty and leading character that you are supposed to get behind, the new version of 'All the Kings' should have captured your attention from the off but it fails dismally.

This is a movie made with winning awards in mind. You have a cast of Oscar winning and nominated actors, an Academy award winning screenwriter turned director and a Pulitzer Award winning novel as source material, so the signs are good for gaining acclaim but instead we have a movie that just blatantly tries to pander to the critics.

The main problem with the movie is the performance of Sean Penn as Willie Stark. There is absolutely no argument that he is one of the finest actors of his generation but his characterisation of the charismatic governor is over the top and for the most part, annoying. He is far too overly expressive in his actions and his voice and persona are simply not appealing in the slightest, making you wonder how anyone can take him seriously. This might well have being what the character was supposed to be about, a simple man doing the right thing in politics but Penn performance is more reminiscent of his role in 'I am Sam' than a strong political leader. The rest of the cast are fine, with British actors Kate Winslet and Anthony Hopkins pulling off good Louisiana accents for their limited appearances and Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini and Mark Ruffalo making notable contributions. Jude Law also dons a decent accent for a role that doesn't really push his talents.

'All the Kings Men' is quite simply a movie made to win critical acclaim. It is Penn overpowering performance that drowns everyone else out of the picture that ruins the film and makes you lose any compassion for the character as he heads for his predictable and inevitable end. Another example of why remakes are not always a good idea.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Deleted Scenes (21.30 mins)
Entitled 'Crooks on the pay roll', 'The hospital contract' and 'Alternative ending', these deleted scenes suffer from the lack of a commentary track or introduction to reveal why they were removed.

The Making of 'All the King's Men' (6.34 mins)
Writer/director Steven Zaillian, executive producers David Thwaites and James Carville, producers Arnold Messer and Mike Medavoy, production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein, costume designer Marit Allen and stars Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, Patricia Clarkson, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini and Jackie Earle Haley talk about their version of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

An American Classic (10.15 mins)
Writer/director Steven Zaillian, executive producers David Thwaites and James Carville, producers Arnold Messer and Mike Medavoy and stars Jude Law and Patricia Clarkson talk about Robert Penn Warren's novel and how it was based on the political career of Huey Long.

La. Confidential: On Location with 'All the King's Men' (8.28 mins)
Writer/director Steven Zaillian, executive producers David Thwaites and James Carville, producers Arnold Messer and Mike Medavoy and stars Jude Law, Patricia Clarkson, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini and Jackie Earle Haley talk about filming in Louisiana.

Shake hands with the Devil (10.25 mins)
Writer/director Steven Zaillian, executive producers David Thwaites and James Carville, producers Arnold Messer and Mike Medavoy and stars Jude Law, Patricia Clarkson, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini and Jackie Earle Haley talk about how the themes of the story are still relevant today and how power in politics can be lead to corruption.

The Legend and Lore of Huey Long (23.20 mins)
Writer/director Steven Zaillian, executive producers David Thwaites and James Carville, producers Arnold Messer and Mike Medavoy and star Patricia Clarkson talk about the former governor's impact on the state, his reputation, what he did for the people and his assassination.

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'All the King's Men' is very good. The featurette cover most aspects of the films production and the history behind the story. An interview with Sean Penn would have been great but the rest of the cast chip in enough to make up for his absence. Fans should be pleased.

DVD

The Usher Home | Hush, Hush... | The Big Story | The Usher Speaks

Stuck @ Home | Coming Soon | Links | Contact the Usher

2006