Review of All the President's Men (1976) by Cindy I — 04 Mar 2010

Two reporters for a big city newspaper discover a conspiracy in the U.S. government that involves the CIA, the FBI and the Justice Department -- even up to the Oval Office. Sounds like a great premise for a movie, doesn't it? Damn right it does. And it's even better because it's TRUE. This film is based on the book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, both newbie reporters at the Washington Post, who investigated a break-in at the Democratic National HQ that eventually brought down men all the way up the ladder, culminating in the resignation of President Nixon. I was just a kid when all this took place (early 70s), so I'm only vaguely aware of the details. It was interesting for me to learn who did what when, where and to whom. And my research librarian background savored every morsel of the investigative process.

This film is as gripping and nerve-racking as any spy novel or suspense thriller. And to know that it really happened just adds to the thrill. It's nearly 2-1/2 hours and I never looked away from the screen for the first hour and a half. Excellent performances by Robert Redford (Woodward WISHES he looked that good!) and Dustin Hoffman in the Woodward and Bernstein roles, and a class act of support, with Jason Robards Jr,, Jane Alexander, and as "Deep Throat", informant who met with Bob Woodward and broke the story open, Hal Holbrook. A humdinger of a film with a story so outrageous that no one would believe if it wasn't documented in history books.