This Blu-ray DVD item from Sony Pictures was reviewed on 10-Dec-2008.
All the King's Men [Blu-ray] Reference DVD. Classifications : Genres Action & Adventure African American Cinema Animation Anime & Manga Art House & International Classics Comedy Cult Movies Documentary Drama Educational Fitness & Yoga Gay & Lesbian Horror Kids & . Click the following link to view the cover of All the King's Men [Blu-ray]. Related topics: 2006. Genres. Action & Adventure. Animation. Anime & Manga. Classics. Comedy. Cult Movies. Documentary. Drama. Educational. requestid: 7f3fb45d-676b-40ec-9245-bab3ab45f3c0
requestprocessingtime: 0.0510030000000000
salesrank: 8158
numberofitems: 1
packagedimensions: 6065020550
1) Blu-ray DVD All the King's Men [Blu-ray] by Sony Pictures. It may be that judgment colored the comments of most reviewers but whatever colored them, the negative comments are washed away by superb acting and an overwhelmingly fine presentation of a place, era, and way of thinking probably foreign to most viewers, even from the U.S.
Very possibly, as reviewer El Lagarto points out, a central problem is also "the iconic nature of the source material," namely, the biography of corrupt populist Louisiana governor, Huey "Kingfish" Long---the man who called himself a "hick" and rose up by addressing other "hicks"---many of whom had never voted before. I blush to tell, I´ve never read the famed Robert Penn Warren novel on which this film is based.
But the movie perfectly captures the oppressively hot, humid Louisiana climate, along with the perennially corrupt political environment that endured throughout the 20th century and into our own era. It also precisely frames the grand antebellum plantation houses, wide lawns, live oak-lined dirt drives and swamps of south Louisiana, where the population is concentrated---along with the decadence for which New Orleans, from its very establishment, has always been deservedly renowned.
The Willie Stark that Sean Penn manufactures is a Huey Long-look alike, and is totally believable. He has the accent, the swagger, and the deep south dead pan down cold, along with the ability to spin a highly colorful yarn based on a highly colorful southern analogy. There´s no modern politics in this part. It´s late 1920s and early 1930s Louisiana, the whole way. In context.
That´s undoubtedly another problem for most viewers. The environment established so firmly in this amazing political story is that it is so foreign to that of current-day U.S. population centers. Apparently, few people can believe that anything like it ever existed in the U.S. But Louisiana has always been something of a world unto itself, and this was especially true during the Huey Long era.
The actors, listed above, all contribute to the full-scale replication of that complex world, where a gentleman´s honor and appearance account for almost everything. Most of the main characters (good guys and bad, alike) thus live beyond the reach of morality---power-hungry, afflicted with alcoholism, or eternally laboring to hide their personal shame or dirty laundry.
This film´s negative reception was totally unwarranted. Overall, it´s an amazing dramatic accomplishment. For more than two hours, the movie held us rapt in another time, and a thoroughly fascinating place.
--Alyssa A. Lappen¤ 2) Blu-ray DVD All the King's Men [Blu-ray] by Sony Pictures. I really liked this movie and I actually saw it before I read the book. Of course the book is better, but this is definitely worth the buy if you like dramas and political dramas at that. The entire cast gave great performances and brought the book to life. I really enjoyed this movie and glad I own it.¤ 3) Blu-ray DVD All the King's Men [Blu-ray] by Sony Pictures. I thought this film was pretty good, despite Jude Law´s fake southern accent. I´m not a big fan of Sean Penn - he of the political opinions he can´t keep to himself. But I have to admit his acting here is pretty dang good. The pacing lags a bit, and the dramatic tension is slightly off. But you won´t regret spending some time with this. Just don´t let it keep you from reading the book.¤ 4) Blu-ray DVD All the King's Men [Blu-ray] by Sony Pictures. I thought that Jude Law gave the best performance in the movie. He was genuinely good and I thought an interesting character. Hopkins was also good. There is a scene where Burden bring Stark to Hopkins´ house and Hopkins gives Law this look that in very memorable. It was kind of like "How or why could you bring him here." I agree with a lot of the criticisms. Was it really necessary to have Kate Winslet shot like an angel or something? There is nothing bad about her performance though. The idea of representing Stark´s political corruption through his personal life and not by signing any dirty deals was not the right thing to do. The movie doesn´t let you go into how Stark got corrupt. You are told that he is going to put the fall on Ruffalo but you are never shown that.
What I also thought was good was the scene where the hospital opens and Stark gives a really gung ho speech. That score was excellent as was Sean Penn. I liked when he brought Ruffalo out to raise his hand. I can see why they would break that up and make it a pivotal scene because it was great.
In the original ATKM the scene where Stark is shot is very shocking and there is a scream that makes the scene feel very real, in this version the color is drained from the scene and its in slo-mo and it´s all very studied and calculated lacking the originals shock value.¤ 5) Blu-ray DVD All the King's Men [Blu-ray] by Sony Pictures. It was an ok movie, but i would not watch it again. With the actors in this movie, i exspected better.¤ 6) Blu-ray DVD All the King's Men [Blu-ray] by Sony Pictures. Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Anthony Hopkins star in this riveting story of a humble man’s rise to political power and the destructive force of corruption and betrayal that would ultimately unravel his soul, based on Robert Penn Warren’s 1946 classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Also starring James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo and Patricia Clarkson.¤ 7) Blu-ray DVD All the King's Men [Blu-ray] by Sony Pictures. Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Anthony Hopkins star in this riveting story of a humble man’s rise to political power and the destructive force of corruption and betrayal that would ultimately unravel his soul, based on Robert Penn Warren’s 1946 classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Also starring James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo and Patricia Clarkson. Stills from All the King’s Men (click for larger image) ¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 7-Jan-2009, 043396173811, 6UB-Q4B-HCB-TKB-7OB-LCB-ECB-D8B-8 
All the King's Men [Blu-ray], DVD, Image © Sony Pictures
|
