All the Presidents Men

Started by jasper_window, April 15, 2004, 09:42:35 AM

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jasper_window

Anyone else a HUGE fan of this film?  I wish there was a better dvd available - commentary (maybe with soderbergh since he loves this film and pakula is dead, but yeah soderbegrh and w. goldman would be perfect), etc...

It reminds me of The Insider in that it's an intense drama, and a thriller of sorts, always compelling and suspenseful, but not exactly a "typical thriller."

Any thoughts?

soixante

All The President's Men is a masterpiece, the best political film ever made.  Where does one begin with this film, there is so much to appreciate.  Even though we all know how it ends, it is a riveting film.

Rather than resorting to grandiloquent speeches or ham-fisted statements, screenwriter William Goldman and director Alan Pakula allow the story to unfold in a quiet, incremental way, until the magnitude of the Watergate story becomes evident.  I love how Pakula allows scenes to simply play out in one shot.  I also love the absence of a background score in most of the scenes.  Pakula lets the material work on its own without jabbing the audience in the ribs with quick-cutting and obnoxious music stings (unlike Oliver Stone).

Redford wanted to capture the gritty, plodding, unglamorous daily grind of a reporter's life.  Redford and Hoffman play beautifully off each other, and the tension of two mismatched partners assigned to one project has rarely been done better.  Robards was awesome as Ben Bradlee.

For the hardcore fan:  "I don't want a cookie."
Music is your best entertainment value.

Finn

Yes, truly a great movie.

RIP Alan J. Paulka
Typical US Mother: "Remember what the MPAA says; Horrific, Deplorable violence is okay, as long as people don't say any naughty words."

soixante

Pakula's previous picture, Parallax View, is great as well.  It has the same sense of detachment that President's Men has.  Redford also produced The Candidate, which is another great political film -- one that was prescient about the use of TV ads to tout candidates.
Music is your best entertainment value.

jasper_window

I have Paralax View in my Netflix List.  Rocky's a good movie 'an all, but I'm sorry Presidents Men should of taken the oscar that year.  Klute is another good pakula movie.

billybrown

Quote from: jasper_windowI have Paralax View in my Netflix List.  Rocky's a good movie 'an all, but I'm sorry Presidents Men should of taken the oscar that year.  Klute is another good pakula movie.

Rocky doesn't hold up well and it's a joke that it won best picture, but alas, that's what the Oscar's are usually all about. While All The President's Men was a very good film, Taxi Driver should'a been awarded with the golden boy. Agreed about Klute as well, very good picture, great performances by Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland.

Pubrick

actually, Network shoulda won that year.
under the paving stones.

Find Your Magali

Responding to various comments in this thread:

1. "All the President's Men" is a masterpiece, agreed.

2. Not just a great "political" film, but also the best movie about journalism ever. My favorite geek journalism scene is the one-shot scene in which Redford is calling Dahlberg, who hangs up on him and then calls back in the middle of Redford's phone call with Hoffman. The camera, slowly, slowly, slowly during the long scene comes closer to Redford. In the background, the rest of the newroom staffers are watching some political convention or something on TV.

3. Actually, ALL of the phone scenes in this movie are unbelievably fantastic.

4. The newspaper budget meetings are also very realistic and well done.

5. Oh heavens yes, All the President's Men needs a jam-packed special edition DVD. Double dip me, please! Soderbergh would be great for a commentary, as someone mentioned. And who doesn't want to get Redford and Hoffman together in a room with some beers (or red wine?) and hear their yack track? And there must be deleted scenes, and making-of footage. And wacky Deep Throat outtakes (no jokes). This needs to happen, dammit.

6. As much as I adore All the President's Men, I must, however, disagree with the comment that Rocky doesn't hold up. Both movies are amazing in their own way.

soixante

1976 was a great year, considering that All The President's Men, as great as it is, wasn't even the best of the year -- Taxi Driver gets that honor.

The Best Picture nominees that year were All The President's Men, Bound for Glory, Rocky, Network and Taxi Driver.  Not a bad list.  I disagree with a previous poster that Network was the best of the lot -- that film is too bombastic and on-the-nose.  It's not that I disagree with the ideas presented in the film, it's HOW they are presented (or rather, shoved down the audience's throat).  Just as a piece of pure cinema, Taxi Driver has it over Network in spades.
Music is your best entertainment value.

billybrown

Quote from: Pubrickactually, Network shoulda won that year.

Network took 4 major awards that year: screenplay, actor, actress, supporting actress... more than enough Oscar acknowledgement. Taxi Driver was the best film that year by a wide margin, and imho, holds up better than any of the other nominees. It's an utter joke Rocky is even mentioned amongst that class of best picture nominees. It's one of the great Oscar travesties of all time how Rocky won best picture.

Pubrick

Quote from: billybrownNetwork took 4 major awards that year: screenplay, actor, actress, supporting actress...
yep, and it deserved picture too.

rocky isn't that much of travesty, there was no way of knowing then that stallone had no future. they did a lot of those things tho, like John G Avildsen for best director, Michael Cimino, those were travesties in retrospect.

i've enjoyed repeat viewings of Network more than taxi driver, and it meant more to my appreciation of film. but if it makes u feel better i like Casino more than Network, there i filled my scorsese quota.
under the paving stones.

soixante

Quote from: Pubrick
Quote from: billybrownNetwork took 4 major awards that year: screenplay, actor, actress, supporting actress...
yep, and it deserved picture too.

rocky isn't that much of travesty, there was no way of knowing then that stallone had no future. they did a lot of those things tho, like John G Avildsen for best director, Michael Cimino, those were travesties in retrospect.

i've enjoyed repeat viewings of Network more than taxi driver, and it meant more to my appreciation of film. but if it makes u feel better i like Casino more than Network, there i filled my scorsese quota.

Cimino is a genius -- The Deer Hunter is one of the few films that deserved to win Best Picture.

There is a lot of bellowing in Network, very little acting.  Finch beating De Niro is a travesty.
Music is your best entertainment value.