310 to Yuma (2007)

I must preface this by saying I still have yet to see the original film starring Glen Ford and Van Heflin, but I must say I was just as intrigued by the pairing of Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. Bale seemingly plays against type as a one-legged war vet and rancher trying to make a living for his family.

Then there's Crowe who takes a turn as notorious outlaw Ben Wade who has committed his fair share of crimes and bank jobs with his gang. It would appear they have very little in common, that is until Wade is captured by some local authorities and Dan Evans signs on to help take him to the train station since he's in desperate need of money. So begins the dangerous undertaking with Wade's men looking for blood, Apaches waiting for them, and numerous other pitfalls. They are mistaken if Wade is going down without a fight, but he slowly bides his time getting under their skin.  Their plan to set a decoy also buys them little time after the bandits interrogate the stand in and let him burn.

Second in command Charlie Prince is not going to stop until he gets his boss back and he proves that he will use any measures he deems necessary. Evans and the rest are held up in a town on the second story waiting for their assailants, but the odds get back real quick. On a matter of principle Evans decides to finish what he started while telling his son to leave the premises. The finale begins as Evans and Wade head to the train station with a barrage of bullets aimed in their direction. The old reliable 3:10 to Yuma is late, but in one final moment Wade willingly gets aboard the train probably knowing full well that he can escape a third time. There stands Dan Evans a man who did something extraordinary and will get the money he so desperately needs. But Wade and young William watch as Dan gets riddled with bullets from behind. But Wad and William are far from done.

Since the western is all but a dead genre nowadays it's always wonderful when a modern film is able to do justice to the lineage, and even as a remake this version can certainly stand alone. It fills a gritty, grimy, sweaty reality that in some instances feels a lot more realistic than early Hollywood westerns. In other words it's not bad just different aside from Bale and Crowe, Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, and Alan Tudyk all are memorable. However, I lost Fonda under all that beard. Was that really him?

4/5 Stars

Rain Man (1988)

Barry Levinson probably doesn't have a masterpiece per se, but he has some thoroughly enjoyable films in his filmography including Diner and Good Morning Vietnam as two prime examples. Rain Man is similar in that it is an interesting film and a heartfelt film, but not, dare I say, a great film.

Tom Cruise plays his typical stuck up jerk named Charlie Babbit, who over time learns what really matters in life. He starts off as hot shot car dealer in Los Angeles who is trying to swing a big deal while balancing a vacay in Palm Desert with his girlfriend. However, when he gets news that his estranged father has passed away he must change course for Ohio.

It's there that he rehashes his old bitterness towards his father and it is there that he learns something life changing. He has a brother. An older brother to be exact, named Raymond. Except he never heard about him since Ray is living in Wallbrook a mental institution for individuals with autism like himself.

He lives on a regimented schedule that he adheres without fail. He loves books, baseball, and Jeopardy among other hobbies. Whenever he gets nervous he starts into a monotone monologue of Who's on First. He seems completely at odds with the world of his younger brother, but the catch is that all their father's wealth is essentially given over to Raymond.

So in the sake of equality Charlie takes his brother away and holds him at a kind of ransom so Ray's doctor will hand over half of the family fortune. He doesn't budge however, so Charlie is left to travel with his brother to California. Matters are complicated because Ray will not fly on planes citing the many fatalities in the past. Thus, this story of two brothers turns into a road film where Charlie begins to learn how special Ray really is.

True, he constantly sticks to his regiment (ie. Lights out at 11 and such), but he also has amazing abilities including doing extraordinary calculations and having tremendous recall ability. At first Charlie's girlfriend Sussana is upset with how he treats Raymond and she leaves. That was unfortunate because she for a time was my favorite character. However, it does allow for Cruise and Hoffman to share more scenes together. They take Vegas by storm and Raymond is a success while Susanna finally rejoins them. Most importantly Charlie has a newfound respect for his brother and what he is able to do. Dr. Bruner wants to take Ray back to the institution, and despite his objections, Charlie can do little about it. He will have to find solace in the fact that he will be visiting his brother next Wednesday.

In Rain Man I found Tom Cruise to generally be a jerk because that was the part he was playing. Dustin Hoffman on his part gave an extraordinary performance in how emotionless and robotic it was at times. However, he seemed to capture the humanity and reality of an individual with autism so well. Just because they act different than what we are used to does not mean they are just as human and relatable. They have feelings and emotions too that matter. That being said, it is understand why he would be hard to deal with sometimes. Valeria Golino was a fairly good addition because she brought some more energy and seemed to generally care about Raymond. Although Charlie did eventually come around thanks to a few revelations about his "Rain Man."

3.5/5 Stars

Nobody's Fool (1994)

Earlier this year I wrote a piece on the evolution of acting that I envisioned as a case study of sorts. The second wave of actors I attempted to analyze included the likes of Marlon Brando, James Dean, Montgomery Clift, and Paul Newman.

It is this last figure I wish to look at again in the context of Robert Benton's 1994 film Nobody's Fool. In all areas this drama meanders along following town grump and crotchety ne'er do well Sully Sullivan (Paul Newman), who works as a free lance construction worker in a peaceful, snowy New York getaway. So on all accounts it seems like it should be a complete and utter bore, but it is not thanks in part to Paul Newman and his array of supporting players.

As I have watched more and more films in the last half a dozen years or so there has been an ongoing trend where I tend to care less and less about substantial plot and more and more about characters. Don't get me wrong, I love a taught thriller or an engaging mystery story, but the film that really do it for me have memorable performances that reflect a bit about the world we live in. Sometimes I even feel like a broken record because I reiterate this fact so often, but I believe it to be the truth.

In other words it feels utterly superfluous to go in dept about this film's plot. It's about a no good Paul Newman, who left his wife, left his son, and never turned back. Now he must accept the path he chose and decide whether or not to spend his waning years finally getting to know his son and grand kid. It's not rocket science by any means and the film certainly feels dated, but Newman strangely does not.

Now back to the generation of actors he came out of. They were the young, moody band of men brought up on the method that taught them to grab hold of emotions and experiences to be projected on the screen in each role they took on. Dean was legendary but his career was cut short. Brando was a giant, but slowly fell from grace and his waistline grew. Newman was famously married to his wife Joanne Woodward for over 50 years, started the charity Newman's Own, and continued having a media presence into the 21st century.

Nobody's Fool falls closer to the tail end of his career, but he has the same gleam in his eye or maybe it's more of a sour smile by now with a hitch in a giddyup. But it feels genuine, it feels relatable, and it feels very much like the Paul Newman many people know and love. He's so often a malcontent or a bum and yet we cannot help but root for him. He also has some wonderful moments to work with the likes of Jessica Tandy, Bruce Willis, and Melanie Griffith, among others, because first and foremost this is a film about relationships. These are people who make mistakes and who are not always the smartest, but somehow we still appreciate them with all their faults or peculiarities. I guess that's what the small town mentality does in a way. You get to know everyone and you get to accept them for who they are. Stealing a snow blower, playing cards, drinking a beer, or buying your daily trifecta ticket just feels commonplace.

3.5/5 Stars

Adventureland (2009)

Oddly enough the same year the cult favorite Zombieland came out there was another film starring Jesse Eissenberg and set in a theme park that did not seem to get as much acclaim. That film is of course Greg Mottola's Adventureland, a coming of age comedy drama which I actually enjoyed a lot more than his previous effort Superbad.

Adventureland is the basic graduate, boy meets girl, summer job formula. Undoubtedly we've seen it before in many forms, but Jesse Eissenberg makes it work again as James Brennan, a high school graduate living in Pennsylvania circa 1987. With little money under his belt and his father getting a pay cut the only choice he has is to get a summer job. He's an extremely bright kid. Good at mathematics and the like, but he also has little real world experience so his last resort is the local amusement park Adventureland.

Instead of an interview or a resume, they look him over, take down his name and hand him a t-shirt. And so begins his reign as a games booth attendant for Bobby and Paulette (SNL vets Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig playing their typically lovable weirdos).

The staff is rounded out by an eclectic mix of misfits and characters steeped in folklore. There's the constant jerk of a best friend Tommy Frigo. The bespectacled wisenheimer Joel who also has a penchant for high end literature. The legendary and alluring Lucy P. who is the park's eye candy. Mike Connell the parks handy man and part time musician who is rumored to have played with Lou Reed.

But the most important character for the purpose of this story is Em who also works in the games department and saves James from literally being stabbed by a shifty customer over a giant stuffed panda. There's nothing over romantic about it at first and that's what makes it so intriguing. He's not the kind of guy who has a lot of experience. School was his forte. Em is cool, collected and went around with a lot of boys during high school. She's been around the block and watched her mother die. She's is some ways more wise to the world than Joe.

But she openly invites him into their little community extending an invitation to a party she is having at her place. He never could imagine being so lucky, but to Em it's not a big deal. His mind is racing and he cannot help but get excited about this amazing new girl he has met. Em is sleeping with Connell who is struggling in his marriage. This looks to be a messy in the foreseeable future.

It is. Em and James share their first kiss and it's magical like it's suppose to be. It all moves so fast and James has heightened feelings for her. But she wants to take it slow with all the crap still in her life. It's seemingly understandable, but it's not what James wants to hear.  She's so hard for him to read.

On the advice of Connell, James accepts Lisa P's invite on a date, because after all it's any boys dream to go out with her. But afterwards being the kind of guy that he is, James feels almost unfaithful and candidly shares his actions with Em. She thanks him but her own rendezvous now weigh on her mind. She looks to end it with Connell, but of course James finds out and it hurts him like nothing ever has.

It's at this point in the story that the downward spiral begins. James turns to Lisa P. as his confidante, but the news of Em gets out and she quits moving away to New York. A downtrodden has little more to do but get drunk and it does not bode well. All the money he tirelessly worked for ends up going down the drain. But he ends up going to New York anyways to take a chance on a girl, because he is overwhelmed by his feelings, but he also sees Em different than she even sees herself. She is far from a perfect human being, but she is someone who cares about her friends and loved ones. So although she is a mess-up, James sees only the good in her.

Really the only reasons to set this film in the '80s was nostalgia sake and then you have a better excuse to have a classic soundtrack of oldies. And it did the trick because I did enjoy the film for the most part and it reminded me somewhat of the Way Way Back.  It's another film about a summer job at a theme park in the '80s which would feel exactly the same if it was not for the standout characters that make the story interesting.

3.5/5 Stars

Three Days of the Condor (1975)

In the wake of Watergate the 1970s saw the advent of many political thrillers with arguably the grand daddy of them all being All The President's Men. Three Days of the Condor is another film that finds Robert Redford trying to get to the bottom of a web involving politics and intrigue. However, this film reminds me a great deal of Parrallax View which came out a couple years earlier. Similarly this film has probably its most startling moments during its opening sequence and slowly unwinds after that into a thriller full of paranoia and uncertainly.

Sidney Pollack's film kicks into high gear abruptly as all "Condor's" colleagues at a CIA-backed literature research post are gunned down by unknown professional hit men. Joe Turner was literally out to lunch picking up sandwich orders and he returns to find his colleagues dead. From that point on begins his life of constant fear, because he cannot know who is with him and who is against him. He can trust no one.

While taking a moments respite Turner notices a patron named Kathy Hale who is about to meet her boyfriend on the slopes and he follows her and holds her hostage so he can have a place to stay. It's suppose to be a matter of chance, but I mean it is Faye Dunaway so it cannot be that random right? No matter, she's initially deathly afraid of him and he does not give her any comfort holding her at gunpoint and tying her up. Their both afraid .

But whether it's some form of Stockholm syndrome or the fact that she actually believe his predicament, Kathy agrees to help him and they have the obligatory lovemaking session inter-cut with the stark pictures on her wall.

What happens after this is sometimes difficult to track with as Redford's character begins his search for a government agent named Higgins, and avoids hit men, while trying to understand who is even after him. Why do they want him? He's just a lowly bookworm with one cockamamie theory about the odd languages a certain thriller has been translated in.

This one idea has got him caught up in something much bigger than he can ever know involving a hired mercenary named Joubert, CIA Deputy of Operations Leonard Atwood, and Oil! That's what it was all about. That's why 7 people died and Turner can do barely anything about it. After all of that who will print his story. Who will believe him. That's is the country and the era he lives in after all.

Redford gives an admirable performance and I personally prefer him to Warren Beatty any day. Dunaway walked a weird line between being demure and submissive while also dishing out some sass every once and a while. It made her character feel uneven in a sense and she came to like Turner rather abruptly. Then again it was Robert Redford.

All in all this film's plotting seems utterly ludicrous to me now and it becomes more and more ambiguous by the end. It feels hardly like a conclusion, much like the Parallax View. And much like the other film I can understand how this story could really strike a chord especially after Watergate when so much governmental corruption seemed possible. The sky was the limit and so Three Days of the Condor was perhaps not as far-fetched as it initially appeared. That's a scary thought.

3.5/5 Stars

Rabbit Hole (2010)

Rabbit Hole is a modest film. A little film based off of David Lindsay-Abaire's original play that he adapted for the screen. However, that is not to discount the big performances that fill up the screen from Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, and the not to be disregarded Miles Teller.

The film finds its drama in the story of a seemingly perfectly successful couple Becca and Howie except the pair of them are still trying to get over the death of their four year old son. It's been 8 months now, but Becca still seems far from ready to move on with her life.

She doesn't want another kid. She can't bear to see their dog that Danny was chasing into the street. She does not want to go to a support group and she remains mostly aloof with her mother and sister who are hardly run in her same circles.

The moment the story takes a turn begins when Kidman's character begins to take interest in a boy. This is not some strange obsession or desire for a tryst. It's nothing like that at all, but the viewing begins to wonder why is she so interested in this seemingly ordinary high school student on the bus.

It might be clear to some right off the bat, but for others it will take a few moments...Yes, that's right. He was the one driving the car? He was also there. That's horrible. That's awful. How are you suppose to deal with that. How can you handle meeting face to face. Except Becca does meet with him in the park and it may not seem like therapy, but it is just what both of the parties involved needed. They want things to be made right again, but they can never quite go back to the way they were before. They want someone to talk to and so they do. About whether they want whether it's comic books, prom, or something else.

However, the news of their meetings finally becomes too much for Howie. The roles get switched as she becomes the cool and collected one while he seems to be losing himself. It even gets to the edge of a precipice that almost drops into the chasm of an affair. But he doesn't fall in. He and Becca slowly begin to patch things together and their life slowly begins to fall in place.

Rabbit Hole is engaging because it speaks of how to cope with death and the kind of loss that tears your life apart. It considers what it is to mourn well and how we still must move on with our lives in a healthy way. The hard part is there is hardly an easy progression and sometimes it feels very subjective what a "healthy" way of grief is.

Honestly, I watched this film out of curiosity in Miles Teller's performance thanks to Whiplash and especially The Spectacular Now, but I ended up being treated to two turns by Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart that really commanded the attention.

3.5/5 Stars

Witness (1985)

I think of Harrison Ford much in the same way I think of Paul Newman. They both play the brash, bold, smart alec characters that we adore as audiences. They make the perfect action adventures heroes, but are not always respected as actors which is a shame. For Ford his reputation hinges on a number of great characters from Han Solo, to Indiana Jones, to Rick Deckard. They all are magnificently memorable action heroes. Ironically it is the plain seemingly everyday cop John Book that allows Ford to truly show off his acting chops like I have never seen him do before.

The film begins when a young Amish boy named Samuel gets to take his first adventure into the big city with his mother as they head to see some relatives in Philadelphia. Little Samuel has a pair of dark brown, wonderfully inquisitive eyes in which to take in this world that is so foreign to his own. That is in fact one of the major themes of Witness, the colliding of two worlds that are at odds.

But anyhow, when he ventures into the restroom to use the toilet he unwittingly sees a violent murder being committed and he is able to hide in the stalls, but he gets a look at one of the perpetrators. And so just like that this little boy who never spent a day in the real world is a key witness to a murder investigation.

That's when steady, straight-arrow cop John Book comes into the picture. He's not a bad man by any means and he wants to wrap up the case quickly so he can let Samuel and his mother go as soon as possible. You can see he finds their customs strange and Book feels a trifle awkward being around them, but he does his job the best way he knows how, by confiding in his superiors and having his partner watch his back.

Everything blows up in his face. He gets shot and he must make a mad dash with Samuel and his mother to their quaint Amish home. Now the roles are shifted as he must wait it out building up his strength as his pursuers try and locate him. His world of cops and guns seems to have no place in this farm community of peaceful people. But as a former carpenter and a decent individual Book is able to adapt rather well. Rachael Lapp soon finds herself enjoying his presence around their home since she is a widower and her father-in-law Eli reluctantly allows him to stay.

Book learns how to milk a cow and helps in a barn raising all the while building of a rapport with Rachael, but others seem to be wary of the presence of such a man.

As would be expected we have our final showdown between Book and his pursuers who are a lot closer to home than he would ever expect. When it's all resolved he leaves the country peaceful once more, but not without some intense memories.

Peter Weir's film has a rather interesting pacing for a thriller, starting out slowly, but we know it must be building up to some impending doom, so I would reserve from calling it boring. When that moment comes it becomes a breakneck thriller before quieting down once more in the Amish town. Then the last 20 minutes are that of a dynamic action film. However, it is in these more tranquil moments that Harrison Ford gets to show off his humanity whether it is talking about guns with young Samuel or dancing to a car radio with Rachael. There's no doubt that you have not seen Ford like this before and it's definitely worth seeing him in this worthwhile thriller.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

There was something rather therapeutically soothing about coming back to Silver Linings Playbook. I must admit this time around I was not quite as drawn to the direction of David O. Russell, because in some scenes it felt like too much attention was brought to his camera. However, I loved Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Rober De Niro, because each one of them in screwed up in their own ways. Although their story takes place in Philadelphia and a lot of talk is made about the Eagles, what these characters really are a cross-section of humanity.

I was just thinking recently how I dislike the term "escapism" referring to watching movies and going to theaters. I do not think I go to movies to escape my life at all. Maybe I do sometimes, but I am fascinated by movies because they can tells us more about ourselves. More about what it is to be human and coping with all that is messed up; all that is broken.

Tiffany (Lawrence) and Patrick (Cooper), both are screwed up. There's no getting past it. She's a widow, who got fired from her job for sleeping around and now she does dance as a sort of therapy. He just spent an 8-month stretch in a Psych ward after he caught his wife in the shower with one of her coworkers. Now whenever he here's his wedding song he goes into a enraged fit. He tries to look for the silver lining in everything, but that does not stop him from hurting the ones he loves.

Tiffany and Patrick are made for each other, even if Patrick refuses to believe it. They both know what it is to be put through therapy, drugs, and the like after personal trauma. They both lack the common filter or etiquette that humanity usually requires. We love them anyways, in spite of these reasons or more likely for these reasons.

De Niro is Patrick's father and a man so invested in betting on Eagles football games that it drives his life. Superstitions run rampant in his household, but he refuses to acknowledge them just like his son refuses to accept his own problems sometimes. It makes for some fireworks and interesting altercations, but at the end of the day they are still family.

The whole film culminates at a dance competition that Tiffany and Patrick have been working up to for a long time. It has the big stakes that you would expect for a climatic event, but most importantly it is this moment in time where Patrick finally realizes Tiff is the girl for him. He finally sees what most of the audience saw all along. They are made for each other, and they can accept each other with all their idiosyncrasies. He continues living his life by The Silver Linings Playbook and it makes both Tiffany and him very happy.

4.5/5 Stars

The Battle of Algiers (1966)

Being rather oblivious to the relations between France and Algeria as well as the battle of Algiers, this documentary-style film proved to be an enlightening and thoroughly engaging historical exercise. I certainly can not corroborate all the facts, but the reality is that The Battle of Algiers is one of the most well paced films that I have seen coming out of Europe. There is a great deal of drama, excitement, and it all brings up numerous political questions that parallel the world we live in even to this day.

It's the story of 1950s Algeria and specifically the Casbah Muslim district of the city. It is there between 1954 to 1957 that the National Liberation Front waged war against  their perceived oppressors from France. And they certainly had a point that imperialism has left an indelible mark on them. However, their own strategies include bombings and assassination that utilize civilians and people loyal to the front. You don't know when the next attack will come and they sweep across the land. The leaders of the FLN include the fiery Ali la Pointe and El-hadi Jafar, who recruited la Pointe early on. Lieutenant Colonel named Matheiu is brought in to bring down the enemy, but it proves to be a difficult task since the FLN much like a tape worm will never die until the head is destroyed. Otherwise it's extremities will keep rebuilding int he form of loyal underlings.

The film is rather shocking in its straightforward depiction of violence whether it be bombed buildings, gunfights in the streets, or French authorities being gunned down by insurgents. Somehow these images feel somehow still very relevant to today. You have the imperialists clashing horns with the locals. There's racial profiling. Women and children are involved in the violence just as much as anyone else, and destruction pervades the public squares. There is no refuge from bomb or evil. Anyone coming around a corner could be carrying a bomb or looking to shoot you when you least except it. Really it is amazing that a film like this was even made, and it was undoubtedly a lightning rod for controversy.

In the film's epilogue the unrest continues and it is finally noted that Algieria did eventually receive their independence. The French may have won the battle but they ultimately lost the war. The audience is left to develop their own opinions about this conclusion. As for me I find Gillo Pontercorvo's film fascinating because he takes a point of view that does not seem especially biased. This is not noticeably propaganda in its depiction, but instead it is a thought-provoking document of civil unrest developing questions on war and race relations. Maybe we can even learn something from it too in this modern age that still includes so much conflict.

5/5 Stars

The Shawshank Redemption - Updated (1994)

This film originated from a Stephen King novella called Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The actress actually does play into this movie and her famed hair flip from Gilda even makes a memorable appearance. However, the shortening of the title not only simplifies things but it refocuses the film on what it is all about. You guessed it. At its core Shawshank is about the redemption of one man who would never let his hope or ardent spirit be quelled. That man is the memorable but generally unassuming Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins).

His story began back in 1947 when he was put on trial after being acussed of riddling his unfaithful wife and her lover with bullets in his drunken rage. We see bits and pieces of what happened, but not everything. Andy quietly claims his innocence, but he is dealt two back to back life sentences in the Shawshank state penitentiary.

When he gets there initially who looks to be a pushover, not ready for the dark recesses and harsh reality that is prison life. In his typically smooth mode of voice-over Morgan Freeman as camp grifter Red recalls when he first set eyes on this man. He didn't know it then but Andy would prove to be a life changing acquaintance and he also proved to have more guts than Red was expecting.

They first cross paths when Andy comes to Red inquiring about getting a rock hammer and Rita Hayworth. Red obliges and these trinkets allow Andy to shape rocks to form a chess set. The poster goes up on his wall and others soon follow. He's a man who always strives to stay busy and he never lets his circumstances get him down.

It doesn't come easy though because the local prison gang christened "the sisters" who are used to getting their way with any inmate they cross paths with. Andy is not one such individual and he pays the price receiving beatings on multiple occasions. Still he keeps on living and ultimately makes a name for himself by providing tax advice for one of the most notorious guards. Its after this specific moment when he wins a round of beers for his mates that they begin to see the extraordinary individual in their midst. He goes by the credo, "Get busy living or get busy dying."

Following his own words to a tee Andy begins to prove his worth and earn respect as he gives tax advice to many of the prison attendants and guards. Even the hypocritical warden uses his services to keep his finances and office in order.

Andy is also transferred from doing grunt work to helping the aged prisoner Brooks in the library. It's a step up and unprecedented in the history of the prison, but then Andy is truly special. After Brooks is released and tragedy strikes his life, Andy continues to improve things. He regularly writes his representative for funding so he can get more books and his work finally pays off. He also sets up a program so prisoners and workers alike can gain the equivalent of a high school education.

As the years pass the prisoners get older and the posters change on Andy's wall from first Rita, to Marilyn, and finally Raquel. About that time a young prisoner named Tommy finds himself in prison and all the old timers like his energy. Andy resolves to get the young man an education and Tommy in turn shares some potentially life changing evidence with Andy. But it all comes to naught. The warden maintains his tyrannical reign and the defenseless Tommy is ultimately struck down.

Andy begins to lose some of his privileges as the warden begins to clamp down on him again by throwing him into solitary confinement for two months. When he gets out Andy's hope is still alive sharing with Red about his dream of someday going to Zihuuatanejo in Mexico to live in solitude. Red thinks it's all folly, but agrees to do something for him even he ever gets out.

Then during an upcoming roll call all of a sudden, just like that, Andy Dufresne is gone for good. To add insult to injury he used his business acumen to stick it to the warden who is investigated by the police. Andy has the last laugh.

After so many rejections and denials, Red finally gets his parole and he looks like a mirror of Brooks a man who grew to know the Shawshank as his only way of life. It looks pretty fast and grim on the outside now. But Red has a purpose that Brooks did not in Andy. He keeps his promise to Andy and rendezvous with his old friend.

Shawshank is a thoroughly engaging film and it works because of the performances of Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Robbins acts as such a bright light despite his solemnity and subtlety. He is innocent and upright,  the perfect contrast to this prison which is a vile disgusting place full of corruption and violence. Freeman is the cynic and in many ways he stands in for the audience. He wants to believe in a man like Andy as much as us, but the world tells him he cannot initially. However, Andy proves Red and the world wrong, by redeeming what has fallen. I can never get over that because that is such a powerful message told in such a engaging way. 

4.5/5 Stars