All the President's Men

Modern day action movie makers need to study this 1976 film from director Alan J. Pakula (Klute) to rediscover how to build tension – and maintain it – over the course of a film. And Pakula, in telling the story of two Washington Post correspondents who uncover a political scandal that eventually forces a president to retire, does it without any car chases or explosions or huge complicated stunts. There isn’t a shot fired in the entire movie. He does it, instead, with the basic building blocks of movie narrative – pacing, plot, believable dialogue and a talented cast who can make even asking what time it is sound like an important clue. The extras on the DVD do a great job of putting the film –and the historic moments it covers – into context, but the main thing here is and always will be watching Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman break the news.