A very good film. But not THAT good...

Rating: 8/10 (8 December 2008)

This film is probably one of if not the best sleeper hits in film history. Of all the votes cast on IMDb, I bet less than 1% saw the film at the cinema. Like all sleeper hits, under-hyped at the time of release, when you watch it and revel in its brilliance, your hair standing on end in parts, it feels more personal to you than a massive blockbuster. I think this is why it is so over-rated. it is not a ten. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are so fantastic and the story is so emotionally wrought that it is possible to get carried away. But better than the Godfather? Gimme a break!!! We are comparing the work of a superb craftsman with the work of a visionary artist whose films have had more influence on modern cinema than anyone bar perhaps his old film-school mates. A fantastic, hugely-credible tearjerker. By the DVD, get it out now and again, get yer tissues ready.