ALL THE KINGS MEN (2006) (BR/WS 1.85 A/DD 5.1/PCM 5.1/ENG-SUB/FR-BOTH) DVD

All the King's Men
The legacy of a populist Southern politician whose lofty ambitions for the future leave him open to corruption and scandal is detailed as author Robert Penn Warren's thinly veiled portrait of Depression-era Louisiana governor Huey Long comes to the screen -- again -- this time courtesy of director and screenwriter Steven Zaillian. Willie Stark (Sean Penn) is a man of the people, and for the people; at least that's what he tells the people. Propelled into a race for governor by opposing forces looking to split the "hick vote," Stark is convinced by a handler -- as well as by young journalist Jack Burden (Jude Law) -- to not kowtow to the powers that be. His rhetoric grows fiery, and he makes his way into office on a not-so-solid foundation of social-service promises. When idealism gives way to the harsh realities of the time, however, the fast-talking politico is quick to discover just how far one can fall when ambition and power lead to a betrayal of one's original motivations. Kate Winslet, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins round out an all-star cast in this second version of Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 novel; the first won a parade of Oscars after its release in 1949. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cast Sean Penn as Willie Stark Jude Law as Jack Burden Kate Winslet as Anne Stanton James Gandolfini as Tiny Duffy Mark Ruffalo as Adam Stanton Patricia Clarkson as Sadie Burke Kathy Baker as Mrs. Burden Jackie Earle Haley as Sugar Boy Anthony Hopkins as Judge Irwin Kevin Dunn as Alex Tom McCarthy as Editor Glenn Morshower as Commissioner Frederic Forrest as Willie's Father Talia Balsam as Lucy Stark Michael Cavanaugh as Mr. Peyton

Crew Gary Baugh - Art Director Scott Budnick - Associate Producer Avy Kaufman - Casting Marty Cherrix - Casting Marit Allen - Costume Designer David McGiffert - First Assistant Director Steven Zaillian - Director Wayne Wahrman - Editor Andreas Grosch - Executive Producer James Carville - Executive Producer Ryan Kavanaugh - Executive Producer Michael Hausman - Executive Producer Andreas Schmid - Executive Producer Todd Phillips - Executive Producer David Thwaites - Executive Producer Coni Andress - Hair Styles David McCarty - Location Manager James Horner - Composer (Music Score) Kirkpatrick Kimberley - Makeup Thomas Weston - Camera Operator Bruce MacCallum - Camera Operator Marek Rajca - Camera Operator Patrizia Von Brandenstein - Production Designer Pawel Edelman - Cinematographer Arnie Messer - Producer Ken Lemberger - Producer Steven Zaillian - Producer Mike Medavoy - Producer Ryan Heck - Set Designer Adele Plauche - Set Designer Drew Kunin - Sound/Sound Designer Rick LeFevour - Stunts Coordinator George Aguilar - Stunts Coordinator Guy Clayton - Special Effects Supervisor Scott Ferguson - Unit Production Manager Steven Zaillian - Screenwriter Gray Marshall - Visual Effects Supervisor T-Bone Burnett - Executive Music Producer Jim Maceo - Production Supervisor Ellen Freund - Properties Master Jane Goldsmith - Script Supervisor Stephen Hagen - Second Assistant Director Stephen Consentino - Steadicam Operator Scott A. Hecker - Supervising Sound Editor Mo Flam - Chief Lighting Technician Randall S. Coe - Construction Coordinator Michael Adkins - Costumes Supervisor Marcia Patten - Costumes Supervisor Michelle Johnson - Key Hairstylist Linda Melazzo - Key Make-up Benjamin Adams - Production Accountant Gray Matter FX - Visual Effects Patricia Schneider - Set Decorator Robert Penn Warren - Book Author Lester T. Bern - Special Effects Foreman Imaginary Forces - Title Design Scarlet Letters - Title Design Manilo Rocchetti - Department Head Makeup Marie-Ange Ripka - Additional Hair Stylist

All the King's Men
Steven Zaillian was very smart to put together such a strong cast for his adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. These remarkable actors understand what to do with the rich and flowery language Zaillian provides, seamlessly integrating Warren's original dialogue with his own additions. Individual scenes work very well as stand-alone vignettes, the cinematography is unobtrusively beautiful, and the set design is flawless. Sadly, Zaillian ignores the pulpier aspects of the original work, going for an overly serious tone. The pace of the film could charitably be described as stately, although the more honest description would be slow. The bombastic score does not underscore the drama onscreen, but circles it half a dozen times and highlights it in red, practically insulting the audience. In many of the dramatic moments, Zaillian resorts to a series of quick flashbacks in order to help the audience recall the confluence of events that led there. These rapid reminders might seem like a good idea because of the complex plot, but the deliberate pace of the movie keeps the plot in focus -- making the flashbacks entirely unnecessary. Although the editing attempts to help the viewer, these recaps feel, at worst, downright condescending. These faults could have been overcome if Zaillian had managed to make interesting parallels to the polarized political condition of the country in the first decade of the 21st century, but the 60-year-old story of a corrupted populist never really seems all that relevant in the age of George W. Bush. Steven Zaillian is a first-rate screenwriter who has proven himself remarkably adept at bringing respected books to the big screen. This time, however, he seems to have a little too much respect for his source material, making his interesting but flawed version of All the King's Men the first disappointment of his directorial career. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
 

Toronto International Film Festival, Film Presented (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French Sound Processing: Additional Features: cc Deleted Scenes An American Classic - Featurette on Robert Penn Warren, the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, All The King's Men La. Confidential - On Location with All The King's Men Shake Hands with the Devil - The cast of All The King's Men discusses politics and corruption in film The Legend and Lore of Huey Long - This documentary investigates the colorful politician that provided the inspiration of the character Willie Stark Making of Featurette DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG13 DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: A Content Length: 128 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- All the King's Men 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16