All the King's Men
Director: Steven Zaillan
Actors: Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Sean Penn
Release Date: Monday 30th November -0001
Genre(s): Drama
Running time: 140 minutes
If you take a look at Steven Zaillan's previous screenplays it makes it easier to understand how All the King's Men, adapted from Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, became the most muddled, disjointed, lopsided movie released this year. Zaillan's previous credits, amongst others, include Gangs Of New York, Clear And Present Danger, The Interpreter, Mission Impossible and Hannibal - neither one a bastion of clear and focused narratives. Told through the eyes of disillusioned newspaperman Jack Burden (Law), All the King's Men chronicles the rise and rise of Louisiana's fiery politician Willie Stark (Penn) and his odd, tell-it-like-it-is speeches. What follows is an untidy film of Stark's campaign trail and the shady dealings he's exposed to on the way to the top. Based on the real life governor of Louisiana Huey Long, All the King's Men lost its story in the adaptation as Zaillan can't decide if he's telling Stark's story or Burden's. Penn starts out reserved but just before you settle in to another sound performance, he leans over into melodrama and no matter how many times Penn flails his arms about or how much gusto he gives to his speeches, there is no denying the fact that Stark isn't interesting enough to engage on any level. Law's lack of talent has been brought up before so there's no need to go reiterate here; however, his performance is a joyless one and his voiceover only confuses rather than clears up any questions one might have about the story. The support fare no better as Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini and Anthony Hopkins all flounder in the background in underwritten roles.
