All the King's Men (2006)reviewed by Benn "Where's the Humanity?" Farrell
Based on the novel by Robert Penn Warren and loosely inspired by Louisiana governor Huey Long, "All the King's Men" follows Jack Burden, played by Jude Law (Alfie), as he covers the campaign of populist governor candidate Willie Stark, played by Sean Penn (Mystic River). Burden, dealing with his own bulls**t, follows Stark through his election, eventually joins his payroll and aids the governor's shady dealings in a fight against his impeachment. For the most part, this new movie version of "All the King's Men" was solid, penned by director Steven Zallian (writer - Schindler's List). All the tools were there to be a Best Picture candidate, but it simply isn't. The performances were too cartoon-like, mostly Penn's and from James Gandolfini (TV's The Sopranos). I blame Zallian for their performances. There were so many characters in the picture who went over the top, it became a distraction. It's Zallian's job to reel them in. I loved the look of the movie and the cinematography. The production design is definitely accolade worthy. Mark Ruffalo (Rumor Has It...) and Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) had characters which were missing motivation. Their inner motivation's were scratched but nothing dug too deep. This was the script's only blemish. Overall, Zallian should stick to screenwriting if he can't see how the performances will choke his picture every time. I think it may be good enough to rent when it hits the shelves. Benn - Where's the Humanity?
Almost a decent movie, but the cast kind of ruined it.