A Film With a Life of Its Own

Rating: 9/10 (21 May 2001)

Shawshank is a favourite of the Imdb. Always in the top 5, lots and lots of positive comments. I personally know many people who call this their all-time favourite.
I wont go that far, but it gets highest marks from me. Just see it. It is the simple tale of Andy, the wrongly-convicted straight-laced accountant and Red, the aging murderer he befriends in prison. They both enter and leave different people, and to truly appreciate this film, pay careful attention to that plot point. Who they are when they enter and who the are when they leave.
This is not a perfect movie. It could have lost 20 minutes without taking away anything, and some of the dialogue is trite. But it is nonetheless powerful and moving.
It was not a box office or a video hit. But slowly and surely, largely through this website, it has developed a large, loyal and ardent following. Even Roger Ebert has added it to this "Great Movies" list, even though it did not garner four stars on its release and did not make his top 10 of the year.
You will likely find that this movie will grow on you. It is very watchable and like a good wine, improves with age. **** out of ****.