The Reel Deal
All The King's Men - starring Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, James Gandolfini, Patricia Clarkson and Mark Ruffalo
This literal depiction of Louisiana Gov. Huey Long can be very slow moving - in many places - enough so that several couples left the theater, and it was a sparse crowd to begin with! Penn is Gov. Willie Stark, an up-and-coming politician with intentions both altruistic and egomaniacal. Every other cast member is immaterial, as Penn steals every scene he is in. Critics have said that Penn's performance, by itself, is not worth the price of admission, but it is certainly worthy of an Oscar nomination. Truth be told(and that is what I do), the film does suffer from slow-moving, unmotivated direction and script, but every time it slows - Penn jolts you back! If you don't see it at the cinema, at least put it at the top of your video rental requests - in about a month!
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