All The King's Men

What a difference a year makes. Columbia Pictures postponed the original theatrical release date of this remake due to an overcrowded 2005 awards season -- figuring that after a few tweaks, this version of Robert Penn Warren's classic would claim gold again. But the move signaled to critics and insiders that writer-director Stephen Zaillain's film was deeply flawed or lacked resonance with the times. And, to a certain extent, that is true. Sean Penn leads a top-heavy cast including the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini and Patricia Clarkson down into the political mudslide for a date with the devil. Everything about the production screams excess, and it is crushed under its own weight. The special edition packaging adds even more portent to the proceedings as the cast speaks to the evils of politics and corruption. Forget a separation of church and state, this edition of All the King's Men is an argument for separation of politics from film. (tts) Grade: D