All the President’s Men Review

Gunshot-like type font crashes through the opening to All the President’s Men. Those shots are etched into the history of American politics, a modern step and series of events that cemented two journalists’ legacies. Adrenalin-pumping stories that mattered most, a shimmering slice of nostalgia for those working the industry but not bagging the typewriter and ill-fitting suits that came before the technological enlightenment. There is a need for inclusion despite never experiencing it. That is the beauty of All the President’s Men. Hopefully, it serves as a reminder. The importance of the Fourth Estate, engaged with tremendously. Underlying intensity flows through this Alan J. Paluka feature. Rightly so, Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are instrumental in bringing the newsroom to life.

Qualities of the documentary-like feature that consolidate the excellent writings of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Many stones are left unturned, but none of that matters when the core details are all right and ready to be rattled through with consistency. All the President’s Men benefits greatly not just from the fantastic detail at the core of it but from the leading performances. Redford and Hoffman with career-best work for the pair, running themselves into the ground as they attempt to uncover one of the greatest scoops of modern journalism. There is an inherent understanding to All the President’s Men of not just the interest in uncovering a political scandal but the process of doing so.

Adrenalin shoots through this feature with great effect, the gambles made throughout to instil a sense of integrity where corruption ruled. Much of it comes down to the stuffy newsrooms and the simplicity of the accuracy found in this Woodward and Bernstein adaptation. What detail it does lose is exchanged for the thrills and chills that come from secret meetings and moments of sincerity between professionals. It is a shining example not just of how integral journalism can be as a tool for criticism but a remarkably humane piece that leaves plenty of detail to the lives of those responsible for uncovering one of the greatest political scandals the 20th century ever witnessed. Intensity comes from that with relative ease, Hoffman and Redford are a credible leading duo that mark their leading roles with that touch of intrigue and essential charm.

Cliché it may be, journalists love All the President’s Men for a reason. Their profession is held in the highest regard of good. Even for those not in the newsrooms, there is inclusive fundamentalism to Paluka’s work, which takes his audiences deep into the heart of decision-making in the sphere of journalism. Whether it still works this way is, naturally, up for debate, but it is the functionality of the profession at its finest throughout All the President’s Men. That stress and anger and even fear is something that leads to greater success, there is a line drawn between adrenalin and enjoyment. Where that line bleeds over for Woodward and Bernstein is made clear and obvious. If anything, this Paluka piece should serve as a kick to the head for those that have not read one of the greatest nonfiction pieces available.