hyped garbage

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.That's certainly a true statement about LBJ, portrayed by Bryan Cranston in "All the Way" from 2016. HBO adapted this from a play for which Cranston won a Tony Award.Due to his disastrous handling of the Vietnam War, Johnson isn't highly regarded today at least by baby boomers. And yet Medicare, Medicaid, environmental protection, The 1964 Civil Rights Act, and a year later, giving blacks the right to vote, plus his War on Poverty -- all occurred during his presidency.This film covers Johnson's presidency from the time of the assassination and stops before the end of his term in 1969.Johnson came in at a time of incredible turmoil in this country - and it was interesting to watch and realize that some of the same issues of discrimination still exist - maybe a tad more subtly, but they're still there.Then there was the fear that if Goldwater was elected, he'd drop a nuclear bomb. This is something we still worry about.A very seasoned and excellent politician, Johnson wasted no time twisting people until blood came out of them to support him. When three men, one black, and two Jews, were killed in Mississippi while attempting to register blacks to vote, Johnson called the chief of police to ask about it. The Chief of Police claimed the men were arrested for speeding (lie 1) and released at 10 p.m. (lie 2). Johnson says wow, he'd really like an investigation and he would HATE to have to send the Federal marshalls. Or the FBI. The chief of police, of course, panicked.Johnson fought with a man he considered to be his surrogate father, southern Senator Richard Russell (Frank Langella), over civil rights and actually winds up turning the entire south Republican after eons of voting Democrat. Georgia was going to leave the democratic convention because the Freedom Democrats (blacks) wanted to be part of the vote for the nomination, and if Georgia goes, the rest of the south goes too. Johnson goes ballistic and screams to the chief delegate: "You need to make up your mind once-and-for-all, what kind of Christian you are? Are you a once-a-week fella or do you hold the word in your heart? What kind of politician are ya? Are you just out for yourself or do you want to make a better life for all the people in Georgia? What kind of man are ya? You've got the balls to do what you know is right, or do you just slink away?" Georgia doesn't leave.Bryan Cranston is positively brilliant as LBJ, tough, uncompromising, sometimes nasty, compassionate but very political. The makeup work on some of the actors is astonishing: Bradley Whitford as Humphrey, Melissa Leo as Lady Bird (from a distance she looks exactly like her), Steven Root as Hoover, and Ray Wise as Everett Dirksen. Anthony Mackie was very good as Martin Luther King but lightweight for the role and looked too young, though I don't think he was. The acting was top-notch, but it's Cranston's show, giving us a complex man, still suffering from his early poverty where he supported himself by picking grapes, still remembering the Mexican children he taught in Texas and the discrimination they faced, and determined to get his way at any cost. Johnson's favorite quote was from the Bible, Isaiah 1:18. "Come now, and let us reason together ..." Unfortunately, it wasn't all that possible then, and it isn't all that possible now. This is a must-see, especially for those who don't know much about that time in our country.

All the Way is a Bryan Cranston tour de force as Lyndon B Johnson ascending to the presidency on the back of JFK's assassination and looking at ways to leave his mark as President.Cranston is unrecognisable under the heavy make up, something not afforded to costar Anthony Mackie who plays Martin Luther King.The inspiration for this HBO film is Steve Spielberg's Lincoln as we look at the political machinations of the Dixiecrat Johnson in trying to succeed with the Civil Rights Bill yet at the same time dealing with the leading lights of the civil rights movement who are making waves in the Democratic Party and keeping in line the southern Democrats who have little in common with the fellow party members from the north.The film is a little ponderous even flabby. Despite the stellar cast and shining performances by Melissa Leo and Frank Langella, the character of LBJ is let down by the writing, his unpleasantness, his complexities are not fully explored. I felt the whole thing to be rather uninvolving.

Looking every inch the physical personification of the character he's playing Bryan Cranston gives a magnificent, career-defining performance as LBJ in Jay Roach's superb television movie "All the Way" which deals with Johnson's first year in office and the problems he encountered when dealing with civil rights as well as his own campaign for re-election. In the role of Martin Luther King, Anthony Mackie is a tad too cool, (Mackie's blandness as an actor is certainly in evidence), but Melissa Leo is a highly credible Ladybird, Frank Langella a superb Richard Russell and Stephen Root a perfect J. Edgar Hoover. The brilliant script is by Robert Schenkkan from his own play.

I watched this HBO historical drama which is based off a play about LBJ and his work to pass the Civil Rights bills in the 60's. First, this is a great piece of work as HBO always does. Reading on the history of LBJ during this time, it's pretty darn accurate too! Second, Brian Cranston as LBJ was just amazing. He had it down perfectly and I read where he stayed in character a lot in off shooting. I was extremely impressed. LBJ is one of my favorite Presidents to read about. The thing that really hit me was how during this time, the whole south turned Republican with the Dixiecrats. And he called it! He knew the south would always vote red after the civil rights bill was passed. With that being said, I can't believe it's only been since the 60's that African-Americans have been able to vote. Racism in America isn't dead and this film portrays what yet would come. If you get a chance to see this, do! You will NOT be disappointed.