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.

In the aftermath of the JFK assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson (Bryan Cranston) becomes the new president. He pushes for the Civil Rights Act. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Anthony Mackie) is leery of him gutting the voting rights out of the bill but he is taken by LBJ's promise of a war on poverty. J. Edgar Hoover (Stephen Root) has King under constant surveillance. Senator Hubert Humphrey (Bradley Whitford) leads the liberal wing and Johnson picks him as his VP. They are opposed by Senator Richard Russell (Frank Langella) of Georgia and the Dixiecrats. Lady Bird Johnson (Melissa Leo) is always by his side as he struggles for the next year to get elected.This is compelling history and probably as well told as can be in this amount of time on TV. It's a little messy as the movie dives into the sausage making. Bryan Cranston is a first rate actor although I expect LBJ to use his bulk against his smaller opponents more. The elevator scene is terrific for that reason. This is a great political TV movie.

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.

A must watch just for the phenomenal transformation from one of the most recognized faces on television - Bryan Cranston (thanks to being WW) to LBJ. For the most part, Cranston gets the mannerisms, dialogue delivery and the look spot on when compared to some videos of LBJ and rest of the supporting cast gives a competent performance too. With a slight overkill on the Precidency and the Oval Office in recent times (House of Cards, Elvis & Nixon, Lincoln etc.), there is no doubt a little charm in seeing all this is lost.Set in the immediate aftermath of JFK's assassination when Lyndon B Johnson (Bryan Cranston) the then Vice President gets sworn in as the 36th President of United States. Determined to leave a legacy rather than just being known as an accidental President, LBJ has to race against time to get the Civil Rights bill passed, manage his relations within Congress intact and campaign to get himself re-elected.While the primary focus rests on Bryan Cranston, there are some significant roles played by other supporting cast like Anthony Mackie playing Martin Luther King Jr. (rather miscast), Stephen Root as J. Edgar Hoover, Frank Langella as Senator Richard Russell a.k.a. Uncle Russell for LBJ and Bradley Whitford as Senator Hubert Humphrey. LBJ is shown as a very shrewd character using manipulation, deception and intimidation at will to get things done, anyone who would have reached that position is expected to have done some of those at different times. Though the premise and the time it is set upon is quite intense, there are also some good light moments like the time when LBJ shows off his amphibious car, when he inquires Edgar Hoover rather nonchalantly about mannerisms of a gay person and so on.The screenplay ought to have been a little tighter as it gets a bit boring off and on, trimming the runtime a bit could have helped. Switching between real footage and staged content does work well when showing the riots, demonstrations and rallies. Boasts excellent production values for a TV movie and every penny is visible on the screen.A Bryan Cranston show playing a president who went through high of highs and low of lows during his tenure.