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ALL THE KING'S MEN (PG-13)

Plot Summary: Power corrupts...

Reason for the Rating: An intense sequence of violence, sexual content and partial nudity.

If you're looking for a light-hearted date movie, All the Kings Men is not what you want to see.  What it is, however, is a beautifully written and superbly acted movie, but one that is definitely not full of laughter and good feelings. Now, I know this movie is a remake of a movie made in 1946, and based on a novel by the same name, so comments could be made comparing those to this newest release, but I want this review to truly be a review of this current movie, and not a comparison of previous works.

All the Kings Men is a story of Jack Burden (Jude Law), a newspaper reporter who is covering the gubernatorial race in Louisiana, specifically following the newest candidate, Willie Stark (Sean Penn).  Willie is from humble beginnings, a self-proclaimed “hick.” He gains wide support from the working class, promising roads, schools, food, and hospitals.  As you can imagine, the upper crust are not particularly happy when Willie wins the governor’s seat and begins talking of taking money from oil and other successful companies to pay for some of his promises.  They are so unhappy with Willie, in fact, that they begin proceedings to impeach him.

Willie is a convincing character, a big talker, who seems larger than life and able to fulfill what he set out to do.  But, along the way, Willie has become corrupt. He goes from a man who won’t touch alcohol and loves his wife, to a heavy drinker who seeks out multiple affairs and one-night stands. The power has gone to his head, and he believes nothing, and no one, should stand in his way of helping those with less money. So, when the impeachment becomes a real possibility, Willie asks Jack to find dirt on retired Judge Irwin (Anthony Hopkins), an upstanding member of society who happens to be Jack’s godfather and surrogate father. Due to his affection and relationship with the Judge, Jack half-heartedly begins a search into the background of Judge Irwin, fully believing he will not find anything to use against him.

Jack believes what Willie hopes to accomplish is for the greater good of society, even though he dislikes Willie and knows him to be manipulative and immoral. What he finds in the background of Judge Irwin surprises Jack, but he still is reluctant to give the information to Willie. In the process of his search, Jack reconnects with friends from his youth, a brother and sister, Anne (Kate Winslet) and Adam Stanton (Mark Ruffalo).  She was his first and undying love, and Adam his best friend. Can they reconnect and build on what they once had? Well, due to Willie, no, as everyone who comes into contact with Willie finds heartache and turmoil.

All the Kings Men is really a movie about truth.  At the beginning of the movie, Jack says, “If you seek for the truth, you have to be prepared for what you find.” Jack was certainly not prepared for what he would find when he began looking into the past of Judge Irwin, nor did he have the moral fiber to stand up to Willie and say “No.” He was naïve and afraid…afraid of honesty and truthfulness in his personal life (all of his relationships were marked by avoidance), and it’s quite ironic that these are the things that changed his life so dramatically. Consequently, there is much to be said through this movie about personal character.  At one point, Jack says to Willie, “I don’t know why I work for you,” to which Willie replies, “I do. Because you are the way you are, and I am the way I am.” Meaning, “You don’t have the fortitude to stand up for what you believe is wrong, and I do. You are conflicted, I am not.” Our character, the way we handle people and difficult situations define and shape our lives, but much of the time we are unable to see it.

FAMILYFANS RECOMMENDS:

The acting, writing, and music in this movie are excellent, but the story is disturbing and intense. If you like this kind of drama, get to the theatre - but leave the kids at home.

AFTER THE SHOW: 

• What feelings did you have when the movie ended? Why?

• Do you believe “the truth will set you free” or that “what you don’t know can’t hurt you?” Explain.

• What would you have done if you were in Jack’s position? How does that compare to the way Christ reacted to those who tried to manipulate him?

JW

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