We all know how it ends

Rating: 8/10 (28 May 2011)

Journalism was still kind of a revered profession when this was made but I don't think that many movie directors had thought about making a movie about journalism and particularly a movie that weren't about showbiz journalist. I think the last movie that dealt with the subject was "The Front Page", but it was more about the glamour of it all.
There is nothing glamorous about the subject in this really good, but also flawed take. The flaws are minor but I wouldn't consider this to be the masterpiece that some will undoubtedly see it. First off, the movie is a bit sketchy about who Woodward and Bernstein were. At the time I saw this movie for the first time, I didn't think they were actual living persons.
The movie goes to a great length to show almost all the key persons who were involved in the scandal of the century. The problem is that so many names are hurled at the viewer that it is hard to separate them. At one point I thought that two characters in this were the same person.
Otherwise, it was just great to see a movie with a different subject than most films. There are no love scenes, no shootings and no violence and that is what makes it unique. Redford and Hoffman are good in it too and despite some comments, that declares Hoffman as the better actor, let's not forget that Bernstein is the more flashy character. Redford must be credited for his very contained performance that reveal almost nothing about the demeanor of his character until one pivotal moment involving a major break in the case.