All the King's Men (2006)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

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:

Anachronisms: Eight minutes and 30 seconds into the film, a modern (late 1990s General Electric freight locomotive C44-9) passes over the railroad trestle. The movie is set in the 1940s and '50s.

Quotes:

Jack Burden: You only get a couple of moments that determine your life. Sometimes only one. And then it's gone. Forever.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Für Elise

Historically Inaccurate, but it's not a historical movie. It is very entertaining.

Being from Louisiana I really enjoyed this movie. The acting was great and the story was entertaining. As others have stated, the accents are not done well. In fact there are more than a few characters who don't even try to imitate a southern accent, for which I am very grateful. I am quite sick of actors trying to portraying a southerner by speaking as if all the teeth were removed and the brain has been lobotomized. Others have complained about a boring script to which I completely disagree. This is not a fast-paced movie but it keeps the story moving and the dialogue is fresh. The slow periods give you time to pause and let the previous scene sink in, while also giving the viewer the opportunity to absorb the ambiance of the scenes. The people in this movie are portrayed as they really were in the 1940's and 50's. There is no surprise hidden here. Although this movie is based on the book of the same name, neither are factual of Huey Long and his legacy. These stories are loosely based on a person, with a few facts thrown in for recognition, but not for historical purposes. I applaud the entire cast and crew for their great efforts in bringing this movie to fruition. This is what entertainment is all about and it shows a little of the corruption that existed (and some would say still exists) in Louisiana politics of the past.

Go into this movie with an open mind and you will find yourself entertained and pleased with the whole experience.