Absorbing, fact based drama. Clever, well acted and brilliantly executed.

Rating: 10/10 (9 May 2003)

When real life events are transferred to the big screen, the result can be hit and miss. The main problem is that facts can be stretched to (attempt to) make it better and they can also be over indulgent and much to romanticised. Luckily, `All the President's Men' avoids this problem, presenting us with a factual and interesting story involving the infamous Watergate scandal with Ex-President Richard Nixon. The film doesn't let emotions get in the way and is strictly objective, which in this case, is a good thing. The premise is as predictable as Antarctic weather, but we're supposed to know the result before going in to watch it.

The movie gets its beauty from the ways that the two reporters uncover the truth. The tactics and actions are intelligent and fascinating to watch. At some points, the film seems a little thin though, and the paranoia isn't enough to carry it. But as twists and plot revelations occur, it gradually sucks you into the story. There is also a murky but deeply in-tone atmosphere that surrounds the proceedings. There is no soundtrack and no songs occur during the duration. This adds to the `documentary-ish' atmosphere but doesn't help build the intensity along the way.

The story alone holds your attention for a good while but loses its way about 10 minutes from the end. Nevertheless, it's nice to see that the paranoia is finally justified. The only other noticeable flaw is that it may be politically correct, but lacks bite; something that similar political documentary director Oliver Stone greatly succeeds at when he attempts to `shatter' the American Dream.
There are great performances from Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in the leads. At the same time though, this calibre of roles, which do not require emotional power aren't very challenging but the duo pull it off with the greatest ease in the respective parts as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. It's a shame that the same can't be said about the support. Jason Robards did not deserve the Academy Award he won for his un-challenging role as the editor of the company. But the rest of the cast including Jack Warden, Hal Holbrook, Jane Alexander and Ned Beatty give standard performances.

Despite some faults, `All the President's Men' excels with equal stamina in being a paranoiac political thriller along with an objective documentary/ character study. It lacks bite, but it more then compensates with energy and interest. My IMDb rating: 7.1/10.