Director: Alan J. Pakula
This is known as a film about the Watergate scandal, but it's not really a movie about that scandal or President Nixon. It's not a movie about politics either. It's actually a movie about journalism. The film is much more procedural than I thought it would be, and that is because it shows even the smallest of things that could affect a reporters investigation. It's a very realistic take on investigative journalism and how detail-oriented it can be. I certainly respect the film for not glamorizing the process. There are cinematic touches here and there, including a great shot of the Library of Congress, but the film makes sure to always include moments what would usually be seen as "boring" if not for the high-stakes nature of the investigation.
Pakula's greatest achievement as director in this film was creating tension in completely mundane situations. Though I admit he had some help because the audience knows the results of the investigation and the consequences of it on the presidency, so there is tension already because of that. But even with Pakula's direction not all of the movie cinematic gold, there are some sequences that could have been straight out of Law and Order due to how procedural and standard they were. I still consider the film an impressive accomplishment though because it shines a light on the process of journalism and how game-changing things like calling numbers out of a phone book can be.
Grade: B+
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