In 3 Words: Long, Intense, Involving

Rating: 7/10 (28 September 2006)

This was such an intense movie that, at three hours in length, I didn't really wind up watching this as many times as I thought I would. This was another of those films I rated very high on the first viewing but lower and lower on the second and third looks, finally eliminating it from my collection. However, that first look was a memorable one because this film had some dramatic moments!
The acting in here is outstanding and runs the gamut from well-known actors like Tom Hanks to several unknowns, all having major roles. It's also nicely filmed. However, the story and the acting are the main attractions. The unique story gets you involved to the point where, even having to watch several very, very unpleasant scenes, you don't want to put the movie down.
Big Michael Clarke Duncan elevated his career a lot with this role, playing "John Coffey," a prisoner with strange powers. You could root for all the characters save two, a sadistic guard aptly named "Brutus 'Brutal' Howell" (David Morse) and Warden Hal Moores (James Cromwell). I was sorry to hear Cromwell blaspheme regularly but not surprised since he seems to have played so many "bad guy" roles in the past dozen years and done this in other films. With those two exceptions, however, it was nice to finally see prison guards as good guys, something rarely seen since the classic-movie era. Michael Jeter, one of those unknown actors, was a lot of fun to watch as "Eduard Delacroix."
Overall, however, as much as I praise this movie, the unpleasant scenes, the high use of the Lord's name in vain and the length of it all make this a tough movie to watch over and over, but it's a movie to definitely see at least once. Let's put it this way: it gets your attention!