Fascinating Execution

Rating: 8/10 (19 November 2015)

Even if the story of Watergate itself wasn't as interesting as it is, this film would probably be just as good. All the President's Men is a fascinating portrait of how two men took down a president. But more importantly, it really captures the chaotic life of an investigative journalist. The story is obviously devastating for many people across America, but by far the best part about this film is watching the events unfold in a unique way through Alan Pukula's directing. So much of films now in days take and are inspired from this movie.
Centered around Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who were for all intents and purposes two of the most important men in the history of American journalism, but also ironically some of the only people who dared even go near the Watergate Scandal. The film can get confusing sometimes with all the dozens of names that are thrown around and who's working for who or who is telling the truth, but that's why the film works. Not only does it keep you on the edge of your seat even when we all know the ending, but you find yourself raising your eyebrows at events that seem absolutely unreasonable.
It won the Oscar for best screenplay which is fine, but I think it's a crime Pukula didn't win for directing. I think Pukula took what is probably a great book, and enhanced it significantly. The screenplay is solid, but it's the camera angles, editing, and acting that take the film to the next level. It's a rare film in which I'm more interested in how it was made over the actual story the film is based on.
Aside from the great technical aspects, it's interesting to watch Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford's performances change over the course of the film. Hoffman is evidently more aggressive than Redord, but as the story takes it's many turns and tensions arise, the roles are reversed. As a writer myself, it was just very interesting to watch the tactics each writer used in order to get information. All the President's Men has a great story, performances, and many other things, but I was most impressed with the technical side of this film.
+Directing
+Camera angles, long takes
+Role reversal with the two writers
8.5/10