Where do I start?

Rating: 10/10 (9 February 2004)

Well... this is the cat out of the bag. Pandora's box opening. Why did I ever find a critique site. I'm one of the most opinionated stubborn sh...uhh so and so's.... in the world.
So I guess first and foremost did I like it. No!..........Just kidding. How can you fail to? Its my favourite movie of all time. It has just occurred to me that this may be my first ever sober critique of the film. It's one of those movies confined to the small, smokey, pokey corners of a pub when the issue of greatest film of all time comes up. There's always a 'goodfellas' and a 'Godfather trilogy' and an 'Empire Strikes back' 'Labyrinyth' (?) Voice in the crowd ,(I mix in strange circles) But its fairly unanimous, everyone likes this film. So why?
Where do I start. Morgan Freeman...Goes without saying. Tim Robbins...Not sure anyone else could play Dufresne now. Bob Gunton....Born to play evil. William sadler...Under-rated.
But it's not really the actors or the Director/photography etc. It's the script. Beautifully constructed. It flows like liquid perfection. Morgan Freeman's VO helps no end. (Brad Pitt described it in 'Se7en' commentry as the voice of god).
I had the fortune to watch this before the hype. I got it out on video the day it came out cause I was a fan of Morgan Freeman. I sat there in silence for fifteen minutes after the final credit had scrolled past my screen. It's that good. Breathtaking. (spoiler) When Red wanders across that beach and we see Dufresne there, and the camera slowly pans upwards and away, you know you've been part of something special. I'm not a fan of sickly sweet 'hollywoodised' endings but every now and then they get it right.
I should stop now cause I could go on for ever. (The 'record' scene, Brook's parole, the 'beers on the roof', the 'poster', the 'salvation comes from within' rock hammer).
I better stop there. Need to take a tablet. See thats why they shouldn't make movies this good.
Yeah I quite liked it then.
Don't mind and comments/critique/feedback. The e-mails there.