Good idea lost in the noise

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

There are a lot of complimentary things one could say about HBO's "All The Way": great acting, historical ambiance, and cohesion of narrative. What really makes this a truly great film, however, is how its themes are just as relevant and striking here and now as they were in the 1960s.For a basic plot summary, "All The Way" tells the story of President Lyndon B. Johnson's (Bryan Cranston) first year in office. The primary focus is on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the type of political and social upheaval/compromises that here undertaken to make it a reality. Key personal/political figures of the early Johnson Administration also feature heavily, such as Martin Luther King Jr. (Anthony Mackie), Lady Bird (Melissa Leo), Senator Richard Russell (Frank Langella), Senator Hubert Humphrey (Bradley Whitford), & J. Edgar Hoover (Stephen Root).It is amazing (and equal parts inspiring and sad) to watch "All The Way" and understand how the Civil Rights Act was neither the beginning nor the end of race issues in this country. In this current era of Black Lives Matter and other racial-based demonstrations fighting for justice, the struggles of Dr. King, the NAACP, the American government, and the populace at large are driven home even further (as they are so much on the forefront of politics and society right now).Acting-wise, the performances are solid all-around, with Cranston especially shining (when does he ever not?!) as LBJ (from what I have read/seen, an uncanny resemblance in terms of mannerisms). Cranston first inhabited this role on Broadway in 2014, so it makes sense that he is the most comfortable here.Thus, with the combination of tremendous acting and incredibly relevant themes, I consider "All The Way" to be a biopic of the highest order (my only slight complaint would be it perhaps could have been trimmed by 15 minutes or so). I'm a big fan of the biopic genre, as I feel like it has so much power (along with a high degree of responsibility, obviously) to bring the past alive and more relate-able than a textbook or tome ever could. "All The Way" succeeds wildly in this regard.

I watched this movie in the light of Trump's election. I didn't think the historical events depicted in this film would remind me so much of the things that have been transpiring in the US this year, but it really did. People constantly label MLK as "peaceful," and a lot of people get the wrong idea that somehow all of his protests were peaceful -- That the protests of today by activist groups like the BLM are somehow the polar opposite from these of MLK. In reality, we attribute the peacefulness to these protests because MLK himself was peaceful, but a lot of his protests did indeed spiral out of control with several people rioting, getting killed and so on. A lot of people forget that the three men in Mississippi were actually protesters, and they were essentially killed in combat. The 3D view of all historical figures in this film is kind of jarring at first -- MLK as an adulterer which is true. Despite his being a Reverend, Lyndon B. Johnson's affinity for holding meetings while taking a dump. These are very reminiscent of people today, and it cuts through the romanticization of the past that most of us hold. People back then were just like us -- They got angry, sad, happy just like we do. They reacted in very similar ways, and the way this movie construed the events to make them very reminiscent of what has transpired in the past couple of decades is what makes this an authentically great movie. Maybe some people wouldn't find it as captivating as me. After all, I am a self-proclaimed history junkie so the factual and humanizing dimensions of this movie made the entire experience incredibly riveting. I can't say I support Trump, or if I do. I think that we still have a lot to learn about him and his administration even if I voted democrat in the last election. A small part of this movie also focuses on "bad press," which is also a very serious issue plaguing our country today. Stick to your guns -- Rely on your gut. Remember to always question everything and double check any news being spoon-fed to you. For example, the press today publishing articles about deportations trying to exploit the context of Trump's win to make it sound like a direct consequence of the result when in fact, an Executive Order takes up to a month to go in to effect. It is essentially impossible that Trump would have been able to completely transform the vetting system in just a few hours. The people in this movie became hysterical and depended on arbitrary interpretations of the constitution. Some people were adamant that desegration was a violation of the constitution because of these arbitrary interpretations. It is so easy to get caught up in the wrong interpretation, and consequently I'm watching a lot of my liberal friends collapse into hysterics over Islamophobia. Watch this movie, keep an eye on history because someone who does not know their history is doomed to repeat it.

"Everybody wants power, and if they say they don't they're lying." After the assassination of President Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson (Cranston) takes over and immediately goes to work on a Civil Rights bill. He throws everything he has behind it and loyalty, friendships and alliances are forged and lost in his quest for this dream. This is a movie that is right in my wheelhouse. I love politics and history, particularly the JFK assassination. I was really excited about watching this one. The movie takes place immediately after the assassination and doesn't hold anything back when it comes to Johnson. His paranoia, inadequacy, harshness and rudeness is fully on display. That really adds to the overall accuracy of the movie. Cranston does such an amazing job in this role that it is hard to actually believe it is him. The movie does an almost flawless job of showing the enigma that is President Johnson's quest for Civil Rights. On one hand everything he is fighting with everything he has to get equality, which is extremely admirable and is something to be commended. On the other hand, the way in which he does it makes enemies out of just about everyone, and leaves him unhappy and still paranoid about his legacy. As a reader and avid fan of history this movie seemed very accurate and because of that I highly recommend this. Overall, one of, if not, the best TV movie ever made, Cranston is incredible and this is one of the best historical movies I have seen. I loved this, but again, this is in my wheelhouse. I give this an A+.

There's no doubt that there are lots of strong performances in this movie: Cranston as LBJ, Leo as Lady Bird, Whitford as HHH, and Langella as "Uncle Dick" Russell. But you can tell this movie was based on a play, because, try as they might to infuse this movie with any action and excitement, the film is mostly a bore, and I found myself nearly dozing off multiple times. And maybe their portrayal of the sleaze of politics also bothered me, most notably with Humphrey coming up to MLK at the Democratic convention and bubbling over with enthusiasm about a "great deal" they reached with him when HHH knew it was a terrible deal. Finally, while Anthony Mackie is fine as MLK, he physically looks nothing like him, and since they made an effort to have so many other characters look like their real-life counterparts, Mackie's appearance stood out like a sore thumb.