Moving

Rating: 10/10 (6 April 2005)

'The Green Mile' is an unforgettable film. It is by turn moving, inspiring, magical and uplifting. Written and directed by Frank Darabont of Shawshank Redemption fame it tells a tale of prison life in Louisiana in the thirties and the experiences of a set of inmates and guards on death row there, commonly known as 'The Green Mile' due to the colour of it's linoleum floor. Based on a story by Stephen King, the main thread of the film concerns a new inmate on the mile, John Coffey ('like the drink just not spelt the same'), who is facing the electric chair on account of his murdering two young sisters. It soon becomes clear there is more to Coffey (a breathtaking turn by Michael Clarke Duncan) than meets the eye and he takes centre stage in this expertly crafted, layered tale of compassion, friendship and loss. Along with 'Hotel Rwanda' this is possibly the most emotional film I have seen and as you follow the paths of the condemned inmates to their final reckonings you will find yourself on several occasions moved nearly to tears. The cast as a whole produce stellar, career best performances (even Tom Hanks) and the character development and pacing of the film is wonderful. I'm a big fan of 'The Shawshank Redemption' but for sheer raw emotion you will probably never see a better film than 'The Green Mile'.