Retro Review: All the President's Men

                                                  'All' The Right Reasons To Love This Movie

                        While there have been many films over the years that have dealt with investigative journalism, including Almost Famous and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, All The President's Men is a remarkable picture that is able to hold its own amongst the afromentioned films.

                         Story:
                       All The President's Men is based on a true story about two Washington Post journalists named Carl Bernstein and Rob Woodward (Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford) and their investigation of the Watergate break-in case. But as they dig deeper into this investigation, they realize that the case has connections to the Republican Party and the White House, and things are hardly as they seem.

                       What I Liked About It;
                      In my opinion, the highest point in the film was the acting. Actually, four actors stood out in particular. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman give outstanding performances and have such great on-screen chemistry. As they take this perilous investigation, you begin to fear for them and hope they succeed. Jason Robards rightfully earned his Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of hard-nosed Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee. But the actor who truly steals the show is Hal Holbrook, who portrays "Deep Throat", Woodward's outside source. Even though Holbrook has such limited screen time, he has a strong presence on screen. I especially loved how they kept him in the dark, which only adds mystery to his character.

                     Another thing I liked about this film was how it manages to be thrilling without the use of an intense car chase scene or the heavy use of suspenseful music. It was a very quiet film with a limited score, which only made it very intense to watch. Also, the film not only establishes a dark time in the era its set in, but it manages to weave in some valuable lessons for aspiring journalists. It shows that once a journalist has a false or less credible source, it can damage the reputation of the papaer or magazine you work for, and yourself.

                     What I Didn't Like About It:
                    Nothing.

                     Consensus:
                   Overall, All The President's Men is a well-crafted political thriller that keeps you on edge and showcases the investigative nature of journalism. This remarkable film is one that any aspiring journalist should watch and take notes on. Not just those looking to become investigative journalists, but any kind.