UPDATE: I am revising this thread since I have not been posting in it for a while. I have decided to start over with the reviews and include more detail.
Nice ratings. I didn't see "Just Go With It" or "Unknown" as I could pretty much tell from the trailers they wouldn't be worth the time. "The Green Hornet" was a mess. I was so pissed that I paid money to see that garbage in the theater. I was disappointed with "The Adjustment Bureau," there were just too many plot holes for me. "Limitless" was a big surprise, and I really enjoyed it. And of course, "Paul" was fantastic. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the greatest comedy duo since Chris Farley and David Spade.
__________________
"If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion."
I kinda liked Just Go With It; it was a harmless comedy, but far from good. The Green Hornet wasn't as good as I hoped it would be, Limitless I tried with but just couldn't get into. On the other hand, I really liked Paul.
__________________
"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Directed by Frank Darabont Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton
Few films broach the subject of true male friendship. While movies such as Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour mine an odd-pair styling for a comedic gold, Shawshank embraces several themes that define the film's own story. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her illicit lover. He is sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary as part of his double life sentence. While there, Andy befriends Red (Morgan Freeman) and the two become close friends throughout the years together. With such a broad plot, and years' worth of character development ready to unfold on screen, Shawshank takes a dramatic, and admittedly risky, step back and takes its sweet time introducing each and every character. Pacing nearly becomes irrelevant. Some of the film's most important characters are shown in the film's opening moments, but by the end each and every one of them is dear to our heart in some form, like a close friend we can share stories of Andy with.
One of the criticisms leveled at the film is that it is nonrealistic, and that certain elements of the prison experience and certain facets of the friendship between Andy and Red, are implausible and overcooked. Anyone who loathes a film because it is "unrealistic" does not know how to watch a movie. I am not omitting ridiculous blatant errors in a film's structure, but when a movie is being watched, the likelihood of anything happening is obviously a theme of reality. The unexpected happens in real life, as does the expected. To me, both play out in life just as they do in film. So this argument, in my opinion, is simply invalid. Another argument against this observation is the fact that Red narrates the film in a nostalgic and triumphant memory of his experiences at Shawshank, and it was quite obvious to me that most of the events that took place in the film were exaggerated on purpose. Red remembers his time spent there through a foggy lens of emotion.
Working within this memory play structure allows The Shawshank Redemption's themes to take on an almost mythic resonance. There are more ways to be imprisoned than being behind bars and surrounded by brick and mortar. This is apparent from the film's message on institutionalization. Throughout the movie, we are shown several aspects of the prisoners' lives that are routine, daily, and a threat if ever taken away from them. This goes for Brooks, who views life outside of Shawshank as unfair and cruel, a world that he does not understand just as it does not understand him. The Shawshank Redemption was a hit-or-miss for some critics, maybe because the film's themes have been used and reused many times. However, it's safe to say that Shawshank's ability to deliver its message is what sets it apart from similar movies such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
This seems to be why there's often such a dichotomy between critical reactions to Shawshank and audience response. Many critics simply did not know how to take a film like Shawshank, deeming it par thanks to its simplicity. This simplicity, however, resulted in some of the finest character development I have ever had the pleasure to witness unfold on screen.
The Shawshank Redemption is one hell of a film. I would not call it melodramatic because the solid character development overshadows any possibility of that being the case. The performances are great. I simply have no words to describe how convincingly natural Freeman seemed in this film. He might as well have been taking a stroll in the park. As for Robbins, he pulled his role off with incredible capability. The smiles on his face, clearly engaged in something mentally, appearing to hold back some dark secret which is finally revealed in the end. Just a fantastic film, and definitely worth repeat viewings.
Love the shawshank review. I couldn't agree more. This has been my favorite film since my second viewing which happened in '95. While certain elements may seem implausible, Red and Andy's relationship never felt that way to me.
Reply to Topic
