Sentimental but Solid

Rating: 8/10 (8 April 2009)

Shank's a layman's classic. Talk to friends and family and the name comes up as a favorite. The film has a tight structure and a nice rise in tension, and we like the cast of characters. But what makes this a favorite is a gimmick. At the finish-line of the film we feel that rise of exhilaration where all is made equal. The antagonists meet their ends and the heroes escape unscathed. The entire structure of the film moves us and captivates us...Andy, the perfect victim, faces guiltless punishment with little complaint and furrowed hope. Freeman's character smiles in his wise way as counts the weeks he knows he deserves. The film's theme of hope becomes apparent early on, and is not distinct from other 90s dramas. Even so, it works with the film's tensions and transfers that hope to the viewer in an unusually effective way. Sure, its 90s sentimentality, and its not great cinema. But its like a potent glass of wine, and can take our minds off our own problems and drop us into that ever-circling illusion of hope that spurts from arts of this sort.