Makes a change from Green Wing, dunnit?
It has been an awfully long time since I last cried so hard in a movie. I just thanked heaven that SO was not watching this with me - with both of us bawling our eyes out the sofa would have been awash.
Frank Darabont has carved out a peculiar niche for himself. All-male casts, prison-uniformery, unexpected bonding, and really good endings. (OK, Shawshank was clumsily handled, but the ending itself was still good.) This one has the advantage of an absolutely crackingly nasty little turd of a prison guard, and one of Tom Hanks' better performances.
The story signposts itself well, with very lean storytelling. Moments of both high humour and high horror are subtly handled. Nothing is wasted, not dialogue nor scene. The movie is three hours long, and I didn't notice the time once.
And be aware of a particular character's initials - it's an interesting take on blessings balanced by curses, and which wins and why.
Friday, January 26, 2007
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4 comments:
wow - this blog is BRILLIANT!!
I can read a short synopsis on everyday popular culture, submerge myself into normality (I think I mean reality) (of the non virtual kind), without ever having to leave the kitchen
FANTASTIC!! thanks
mind you, I do like Tom Hanks in a good role. . . might have to work out how to use the DVD machine and the TV blip and go to the video shop (why do we still call them video shops?) and hire it
on the other hand, that seems like an awful lot of work. . .
I agree, great movie and good book too. I will have to revisit and look at the initials though - I may be gone a while!
ILTV - what can I say. I'm doing a very good blush-and-simper right now though. The trouble I find with Hanks is that, fine actor though he is, he does so much crap that seeing him do his job properly is not that frequent an occurrence.
I love my kitchen too - it's also where the computer lives, right next to the larder. I don't even have to get up to reach the biscuits. I picture your kitchen as one huge table littered with scraps of parchment and leather and glue and sharp cutting things and old envelopes with design ideas on, all covered with a fine layer of fag-ash. Quite heavenly really. Also, video means 'I see' or 'I watch' in latin.
Ziggi - which did you do first - book or movie?
you've been here, haven't you?
it is exactly that - altho I had to tidy up for a dinner the other night, so at the moment the piles are only just reasserting themselves
next time it reaches it peak, I'll take a photo for you. . . you'll be amazed by your extra-sensory foresight
(what's the word I'm looking for?)
only thing - I don't smoke here, I smoke by the window (eek! maybe the dust is blown back in?)
(did Latin O level, but failed miserably - now it all makes sense!)
(now I've got larder envy!)
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