Tied for my favorite movie of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2016)

This ranks among my favorite movies of all time. I'd say it's tied for first place. The ending is perhaps the most satisfying ending to a movie that I've ever seen.
It's not necessarily the type of movie you watch over and over, yet I have watched it several times and it's engaging entertainment each time I watch. In fact, I would say that this movie goes beyond the pure entertainment category. It's a story that is truly inspiring. Morgan Freeman's character, Red, delivers a voice-over towards the end about hope that is perhaps the best voice-over in cinema history.
I know I'm laying it on thick, but I truly love this movie. There are certainly scenes that are hard to watch, as Tim Robbins character goes through many trials while incarcerated, but the way he makes it through them is quite amazing.
I was surprised to learn that this is based on a piece of fiction by Stephen King, but the more I learn about him, the more I see that he writes a lot more than just horror novels. I hope to read the book one day, as I'd bet it is quite good.
Every aspect of this movie is pure perfection: directing, acting, editing, soundtrack... the list goes on. It has a permanent place in my movie collection and it also should in yours.