For me this film did not work for two main reasons: The first was that the screen play and script did not transpose from novel to film. They were fuzzy and clichéd and completely un-life like. The script was like a series of motherhood statements from the book rather than what people would really say. The actors certainly did their best and the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Robert Penn Warren (which I have not read) no doubt was very well written but it was to no avail.
The second was the complete miscasting of Sean Penn as Willie Stark in the lead role. I must admit that I am not a real Penn fan and on the contrary to what his co-actors said I believe his repertoire is very limited. I watched this film on DVD and enjoyed the bonus material much more than the film itself. The piece on Governor Huey Long upon which the book was based was totally absorbing and just watching Long for a few minutes was far more gripping than the 128 minutes of Penn's swaggering overacting.
One thing that did attract my attention with Long was his uncanny resemblance to actor John C Reilly and I am sure that this actor would have been far more effective in Penn's role. What a shame, this had all the makings of a great film.
The second was the complete miscasting of Sean Penn as Willie Stark in the lead role. I must admit that I am not a real Penn fan and on the contrary to what his co-actors said I believe his repertoire is very limited. I watched this film on DVD and enjoyed the bonus material much more than the film itself. The piece on Governor Huey Long upon which the book was based was totally absorbing and just watching Long for a few minutes was far more gripping than the 128 minutes of Penn's swaggering overacting.
One thing that did attract my attention with Long was his uncanny resemblance to actor John C Reilly and I am sure that this actor would have been far more effective in Penn's role. What a shame, this had all the makings of a great film.