Also Playing
Friday, October 6, 2006; Page WE37
Also Playing
A star (*) denotes a movie recommended by our critics.
* AL FRANKEN: GOD SPOKE
This is a sketchy but often entertaining record of satirist Al Franken's campaign to counteract what he perceives to be a right-wing conspiracy of lies and disinformation. The movie -- which follows the comedian hosting his left-wing Air America radio show, peddling his best-selling book and stumping for then-presidential candidate John Kerry -- amounts to a political love-in. Franken's darkest moments amount to his distress at Kerry's presidential loss and an explosion of temper at the 2004 Republican Convention. But there is some delicious rancor. (Unrated, 90 minutes) Contains profanity. Landmark's E Street Cinema.
-- Desson Thomson
ALL THE KING'S MEN
This film occurs in two time frames. One follows Willie Stark (Sean Penn) as a failed political candidate in a backwater city who rises to the pinnacle of state power, as narrated by Jack Burden (Jude Law), a journalist turned flack turned private dick for Willie. The second mode is memory. Jack recalls his childhood in which he was the fatherless son of a grand society lady (Kathy Baker), unofficially mentored by the great paragon of legal thought, Judge Irwin (Anthony Hopkins), and equally smitten with the beautiful neighboring Stanton kids (Kate Winslet and Mark Ruffalo). Naturally, the fun part is anticipating and watching as these two worlds collide. But director Steven Zaillian can't stay away from showy tricks (unusual camera placements, twisted angles, fascination with double-images, mirrors, fogs, mists and moons), but filter out all the film school pyrotechnics, and the film is an honorable run at Robert Penn Warren's classic novel. (PG-13, 127 minutes) Contains violence and sexual innuendo. Area theaters.
-- Stephen Hunter
BARNYARD
