Woodward and Bernstein follow the money in 'the most devastating detective story of the century'

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 2014)

On paper, "All the President's Men" is a movie that shouldn't have worked. The Watergate scandal reached its apex only a couple of years earlier and you'd have to be living under a rock to not know what the outcome was. Turning to a highly familiar news story for subject matter isn't that unusual but when that story revolves around a couple of newspaper reporters going around asking people questions, the opportunities for drama would appear to be minimal. And yet, somehow, Alan J. Pakula took this story and fashioned it into one of the best political thrillers of all time.
William Goldman's Oscar-winning script (based on the book by Woodward & Bernstein) deserves a fair share of the credit. Although the source material is quite interesting, turning it into a gripping cinematic experience took considerable skill. My only complaint is that the ending seemed a bit awkwardly handled (not that I can see how it could have been improved upon).
Another strong point of the film is the acting. The two leads, Robert Redford & Dustin Hoffman, both contributed fine work as reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, respectively. They received strong support from several actors, including Jason Robards, who won an Oscar for his efforts. Other notables include Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Jane Alexander and Hal Holbrook.
The direction demonstrates Pakula's skill and relies more on subtle touches than outright flourishes. The cinematography by 'Prince of Darkness' Gordon Willis is superb, though it was bafflingly snubbed by Oscar voters. Another unsung technical element was the moody score by David Shire. The film did manage to snag Oscars for art direction-set decoration and sound, though.
Overall, "All the President's Men" deserves praise for presenting a familiar story with both artistry and entertainment value. Regardless of how much you already know about the Watergate scandal, this movie makes for compelling viewing from beginning to end.