Day 14: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Day 13: Silence of the Lambs

When The Silence of the Lambs was released, few people could have expected the impact it would have on our culture.  Many people consistantly argue over whether the film should be classified as a horror or thriller.  The argument is really invalid, as the film itself seems too mature to fit into the typical "horror" classification, and more in-depth and fastastical to compare to common "thriller" films.  For me, The Silence of the Lambs is, and I imagine will remain, one of the best films ever made.


The film is carried predominantly by the performances by it's two leads.  Jodie Foster bring a quiet strength to her Clarice Starling, while allowing her vulnerability to shine through, allowing the audience to connect with her.  Anthony Hopkins created quite possibly the most interesting character ever committed to film, with his portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lector (although a previous version of the character was introduced in the film Manhunter, where Lector was portrayed by the amazing Brian Cox).  Hopkins easily delivers the better performance, and breathes life into an already complex and interesting character.

Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs

The true brilliance of the film was leaving intact the brutality and visceral nature of it's story, and not pandering to a wider audience by toning it down.  The film earns every bit of it's rating, thus making the film a more pleasurable film experience.  While many may have been turned off by the unpleasant subject matter, those people are now rushing home on a daily basis to watch any type of procedural show on TV, that owes it's existance to this film (CSI,  Criminal Minds, etc).


The awards and accolades received were rightfully given, and the film still remains relevant and current today as it did when it was released.  The film is worthy to be remembered, and if you haven't given it a chance yet, you owe it to yourself to do so.  As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD or BluRay, or add the film to your Netflix list.

         

Day 12: Love, Actually

Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen.  Very rarely does an original concept come along, that changes up the redundant format.  Not only does Love, Actually succeed at having an original concept, it succeeds at being one of the best romantic comedies ever made.Taking place during the days leading up to Christmas, the film also serves as a wonderful film to add to any Christmas movie tradition you may have.  Multiple interwoven storylines are told from the point of view of a mainly British, but well-known cast, following different varieties of relationships.


The cast here is phenomenal.  Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Kiera Knightly, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln, Martine McCutcheon, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Rowan Atkinson, and many more all turn in wonderful performances.  The standouts definitely belong to Bill Nighy (playing an aging rock star), Hugh Grant (playing the newly elected Prime Minister), Colin Firth (playing a jilted writer), and Andrew Lincoln (playing a man in love with his best friend's new wife, which is a fairly different role than his current role as the star of AMC's The Walking Dead).

The primary cast of Love, Actually

Breaking down the extensive plotlines would take too much time, so do yourself a favor and watch this film immediately. As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD or BluRay, or add the film to your Netflix list.  For your viewing pleasure, enjoy the video of Hugh Grant's stress relief therapy from the film.

          

Day 11: Waiting

When it comes to comedy, Ryan Reynolds has terrific timing.  National Lampoons' Van Wilder proved that he could handle the weight of a leading role, and made what could have been a laughably cliche idea into a hilarious performance.  Since that time he's made a few other comedies (including Green Latern, which is funny for all the wrong reasons), and has also become a leading man in many romantic comedies.  Before really breaking out into the mainstream, he was able to film Waiting, a film which doesn't focus on his character primarily, but allowed him to shine brighter than any of the other notable names in the film.


As I mentioned previous, I'm quite the Kevin Smith fan, and Smith's debut film Clerks, is often considered one of the best indie films of all time.  Waiting plays like a future generation's homage to that film.  The film follows the operation of a fictional food chain called Shennanigan's, which recalls both the well-known former restaurant chain that it satirizes, and the brilliant name used in Broken Lizard's Super Troopers.  The restaurant is filled with quite the ensemble of eccentric characters, and allows each to share screentime pretty evenly.

The ensemble cast of Waiting

The film stays tonally and thematically even with Clerks in that in mainly follows the two main characters through their various interactions with the people around them throughout the day.  The dialogue is sharp, and while some jokes may play to the gross-out crowd, the setup and executions are well done, and the performances of the actors (especially Reynolds and co-star Justin Long) are near-perfect.

As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD or BluRay (although watch out for the rare "Nut Up or Shut Up" editions, as they get pretty pricey), or add the film to your Netflix list.

   

Day 10: Jersey Girl

Kevin Smith is one of my favorite directors. While many people don't appreciate his particular "style" (i.e. fart jokes and horrible camerawork), his talent for dialogue is one of the greatest, and has earned him a legion of fans with both the average moviegoer, and celebrities alike (Quentin Tarrantino, Robert Rodriguez, George Carlin, etc).  His ability to provide a calm and laid back set on his films is the reason why many of his actors, even those who have since become household names (hello, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Jason Lee) have continued to return his call and appear in even the smallest of roles.


The true mark of any great director is their willingness and ability to leave the comfort zone, and attempt something where they have no assurity of success.  For Kevin Smith, this was Jersey Girl.


A full 180 depature from his previous film entries, the film follows the story of workaholic media publicist in New York named Ollie (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a beautiful woman (then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez), only to see her die during the birth of their daughter, leaving him to raise their daughter Gertrude (named after her mother).  Due to the contraints put on to him by both his job and his newborn daughter, even the help of his father Bart (George Carlin) is not enough to allow him to function properly, and he is dismissed from his job after publicly trashing a client (the brilliant choice of Will Smith) during a press conference he set up to promote the client's upcoming film release (Independence Day).


The film skips ahead years later and Ollie is living with his father in New Jersey, and raising his daughter, nicknamed "Gertie."  He now works, along with his father, as a civil servant for the Highlands Boroughs, where they reside.  After a strange encounter with a video clerk named Maya (Liv Tyler), and a successful speech he gives to a group of unhappy citizens convincing them to approve a neccessary but inconvenient work permit, he decides that he misses his previous job and tries to reconcile his former connections in the hope that an opportunity will arise.  This conflicts with his current situation, and the desires of his young daughter, and he is forced to make a choice between the two.


While Affleck hasn't been the most reliable performer in his career, he pulls off the role gracefully, which is helped by Smith's ability to write for his good friend.  Lopez's role is more of a cameo, which is a blessing, since the film's box office was unltimately hurt the most by the "Bennifer" breakup and the cinematic "turd" that was Gigli.  Raquel Castro was a charming find, portraying Gertie, and recently was able to show off her singing during the premier season of NBC's The Voice. Mike Starr and Steven Root both turn in nice, although small, roles as work friends of Ollie and his father, Bart.  And Jason Biggs has a nice role as Ollies former protege, who ends up being able to help his former mentor on his journey back into the PR world.


The real gem of the film is the performance of legendary comedian George Carlin.  Having previously acted in both films and television, Carlin has never been offered a notable role in a film before.  Carlin had previously portrayed the Cardinal Glick in Kevin Smith's Dogma (which is my favorite, and arguably the best of Smith's films).  Here though, he's able to show off an amazing range, showing a softer side than most people know him for. 

Raquel Castro and George Carlin in Jersey Girl

While many critics, and fans of Smith in general, were not happy with this entry into his canon of films, I find this to be one of Smith's most accessible and heartfelt films to date.  The film's message has an even deeper effect on me now that my newborn daughter has arrived, but I was charmed by the film even before the birth of my kids.


As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD (hopefully a nice BluRay will be released someday soon), or add the film to your Netflix list. For viewing pleasure, you can a great scene with Ollie talking to Gertie and her friend Bryan about what he has just witnessed.

Day 9: Zombieland

This film is what I consider to be the cinematic equivalent of lightning in a bottle. While other films before this made zombies cool and interesting, Zombieland was the first film to bring that coolness to the masses. While it is still not my favorite zombie film (that title belongs to the epic Shaun of the Dead), Zombieland was able to capture the popcorn fun of what a zombie outbreak could be.    


The best decision made, like most zombie stories, it to focus on how the remaining human characters interract and deal with their surroundings.  The casting department really hit a homerun with this one.  Abigail Breslin (as Little Rock) brings a naive sensability to the group, which allows for some nice contrast to the remaining survivors.  Emma Stone (as Wichita), is amazing as always.  Her star power is constantly rising, and this film really played to her strengths.  Jessie Eisenberg (as Colombus) is perfect at playing erratic characters (hello, Social Network), but he really does a great job at balancing both the fear that comes with such a situation, and the desire to impress the beautiful girl that he happens to be surviving with.


The gem of the film is easily one of the greatest characters written in recent years who, without even much effort, completely steals the entire film.  Woody Harrelson's Tallahassee is easily one of the most fun characters to watch, and imagining another actor pulling off the role so seamlessly is hard to imagine.  What could have been an extremely cheesy one-note role was given incredible range with the writing, and with the superb portrayal that Harrelson delivers, and the character is given the best fully-realized arc out of all the characters in the film.  While there's no way the Academy Awards would ever allow themselves to do such a thing, it was an incredible shame that Harrelson wasn't at least nominated for a Golden Globe.

Jessie Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and Woody Harrelson in Zombieland

The film manages to keep things fresh throughout the story, and keeps the pace steady.  Even when the films slows down for a little exposition, the scenes are still interesting enough to keep those ADD-riddled viewers paying attention.  And while I'm sure many of you have already seen or heard by now, as nobody was able to keep it much of a secret for long, the film has quite possibly the best celebrity cameo in film history.  While I won't spoil it here for those who might still be out of the loop, the cameo is EPIC.

Also of note is the incredible art design of the film.  One of the greatest running gags are the rules of survival offered up by Colombus, and how the visual presentation of the rule interacts with the scene in which it is featured.  The film's scenes interacting with text onscreen is started with the opening credits, and continued through the film, and is one of the most fun aspects of the film.

All-in-all, if you haven't seen this film, please give it a chance, even if zombies aren't your thing.  Sure, there's a little blood and guts every now and then, but the real prize of this film is the story itself and the characters.  It's no surprise, given how strong both were, that the film was a hit with both the critics, and audiences alike, which tends to be a rarity these days, unless your a blue fluorescent alien or a teenage wizard.  As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD or BluRay (although watch out for the rare "Nut Up or Shut Up" editions, as they get pretty pricey), or add the film to your Netflix list.  For viewing pleasure, you can watch the trailer below.

         

Day 8: The 13th Warrior

Today, CTF features a film that didn't quite make a splash at the box office, nor with many critics, when it was released in 1999.  Since then however, the film has developed a devoted following, including myself, for one simple reason:  The 13th Warrior is hands down one of the best action oriented period films ever made. 


Set early in the 10th century, the film follows Ahmed ibn Fadlan, a court poet to the Caliph of Baghdad, who is exiled after an encounter with the wife of a noble, and given the role of Ambassador to the "northern barbarians."  During one of his journeys, his caravan is saved from a Mongol raider attack by a group of Norsemen.  Although faced with an incredible language barrier, Fadlan is able to make contact through his companion Melchisidek (Omar Sharif) and a Norsemen named Herger who speaks some primitive Latin.  When the Norsemen are  requested back in their homeland to defend an attack from vicious warriors that are deemed so evil that their name cannot be spoken, an oracle determines that the mission will consist of 13 warriors, but the final one must not be a Norsemen.  Because of this, Fadlan is recruited against his will to join the mission. 


The Norseman initially look down upon Fadlan due to his size, apparent weakness, and even the inferior size of the horse he rides. During the incredibly lengthy journey to the Norsemen's homeland, Fadlan is able to slowly decipher and learn the Norsemen's language by listening intently to their conversations with each other.  This talent, along with his ability to write, and his skill with his horse, begins to earn him the respect of the Norsemen, including their leader, Buliwyf.  As the mission begins to form, the story really kicks it up a notch, and the film's narrative really begins to take shape. 

Antonio Banderas in The 13th Warrior

The performances are quite amazing, even from Banderas, although  his Spanish accent does sound out of place for a Muslim dignitary in that time period, and is even more noticeable in comparison to the traditional accents used by the actors portraying the Norsemen. Dennis Storhøi is wonderful as Herger, and Vladimir Kulich is absolutely amazing is the insightful leader Buliwyf. 

I continuously reccommend this movie to most people, as the film is nearly perfect in it's execution of both quality storytelling, but also it's action-filled set pieces.  I normally stack this up against more well known films within the similar genre (Gladiator, Braveheart, etc), and The 13th Warrior more than holds it's own with those Academy Award winning films. As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD (no BluRay yet, but hopefully soon, as the cinematography is stunning), or add the film to your Netflix list. 

Day 7: That Thing You Do

While not a pitch perfect film, That Thing You Do is easily one of the most charming and continuously watchable films I've ever seen.


Written and directed by Tom Hanks, the film features a great cast, and an unbelievably catchy soundtrack, featuring the title song.


The film captures the essence of the era which it portrays, without taking itself too seriously, allowing the goofy charm to infiltrate every aspect. While certain themes and aspects of life are given a slight sugar coating, the true magic of the film is the pure innocence portrayed by much of the cast.


The soundtrack alone, an original mixture of 50's and 60's rock, R&B, soul, and other genres, helps elevate what could have been a cliche tale into becoming a magical piece of cinematic storytelling.


Don't just take my word for it though!  Get your own copy below. I definitely recommend the 2-Disc Special Edition (Yellow cover), which has got some amazing behind the scenes features. Also available is the soundtrack, which has been listed below as well.

      

Day 6: The Big Kahuna

An film that takes place almost entirely in one room, might not sound like a captivating idea. Filling that room (a hotel suite) with Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, and Peter Facinelli, The Big Kahuna takes much from the play the film is based on, and offers up some very interesting relationships, that allow the characters to delve into everything from marriage and faith, to integrity and mortality. The performances are amazing, and if you can get past the daunting setting, the dialogue more than makes up for the blandness in the surroundings.

Day 5: Office Space

Computer issues (Ironic huh?) are preventing me from posting a lengthy entry tonight. The film in question is a pretty popular one already, but if you haven't checked out Office Space yet, here's a brief rundown of why you should, since I'm posting from my phone and can't go into detail too much.


Milton. Mr. Bolton. Flair. Swingline Stapler. Two Bobs. TPS Reports. Case of the Mondays. O-Face. Coming in on Saturday. Fax Machine Beatdown. Yeahhhhhhh.... "Damn, It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta."


If that doesn't at least pique your interest, perhaps it's not your cup of tee. As always, links below to purchase your own copy, including a pretty sweet gift set including the DVD as well as a Red Stapler, Lumbergh Coffee Mug, Mouse Pad, and more.

        

Day 4: Bootmen

Yesterday, I brought you a musical.  Today, well, something kind of similar.  But not.....


Today's entry allows me to do something that I hope this blog will accomplish on a frequent basis:  introduce you to a movie you most likely have never seen or heard of, and hopefully entice you to check it out.  Released in 2000, Bootmen was a small Australian film that, while fairly well-known in it's homeland, didn't make a huge splash here in the states.  While not totally a comedy or drama, the film tends to float midway between the two.


The story focuses on Sean, played by Adam Garcia (Coyote Ugly), a small-town steelworker who realizes a lifelong dream when he's invited to audition for a big city tap show.  After being hired, and then fired, for outperforming the lead star of the show, and landing a few nice punches as well, he returns home.  He learns upon his return of the possibility of the local steel mill being closed down, losing many people their jobs (including his disapproving father), he gathers some of his childhood friends, as well as his brother Mitchell, played by the now-famous Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator: Salvation, Clash of the Titans) in his first featured role, and decide to put on a tap show in the mill to help raise money for the ailing facility and it's workers.  After realizing that many of those who might attend might not be able to hear the performance, Sean has an epiphany, and the film's title becomes more obvious.  

Sam Worthington (Avatar) and Adam Garcia (Coyote Ugly) in Bootmen

There are some well rounded subplots, including Sean and Mitchell's father, and his treatment of his two sons, after the loss of the family matriarch, as well as the various segues of trying to incorporate their friends into the group, which is not the most masculine of ways to become known.  The triangle between the two brothers was played nicely, and the twist in this relationship was unexpected, but makes for a satisfying story.


Some scenes can get a little bland, and seem a little too ready for cable movie night, but inter-cut with these are performance scenes showcasing the talented actors piecing together the different ideas for forming their show.


With Bootmen, this is one of those films that you'll just have to take my word for it, and I hope you will.  I think you'll be thoroughly entertained.  


As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD or BluRay, or add the film to your Netflix list.  For a preview, check out the trailer in HD below.

Day 3: Sweeney Todd

I love many things when it comes to films.  And three of those things happen to be musicals, Tim Burton visuals, and Johnny Depp. 

Although being an actual fan of the original stage production that Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd is based upon, there was really no doubt in my mind from the beginning of how perfect a marriage this film would be, based on the content and the creative team involved.  The gothic and macabre overtones that fill the Sondheim musical match perfectly with Burton's penchant for bleak, yet artistic visuals, and admittedly dark thematic history.   

The performances, while not performed by professional vocalists, was still top-notch.

Johnny Depp slides easily to Sweeney's shoes, and while not the most polished vocals ever heard, his rawness and natural vocal ability shines here, especially during the haunting "My Friends" and the amazing "Epiphany."

Helena Bonham Carter pulls off a wonderful Ms. Lovett.  While her vocals do tend to leave a little to be desired, there is no denying that her performance is spot-on, and she perfectly captures the characters sanity-challenged view in the world.

Also notable were Alan Rickman (Snape!) and Timothy Spall (Wormtail!), who both turn in surprising performances and Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford.  Newcomers Jamie Campbell Bower  and Ed Sanders both pull off amazing vocals as Athony and Toby.  And the scene stealer of the film has to belong to Sacha Baron Cohen as Perelli, who's vocal prowess was particularly surprising.  Don't blink after the shaving contest, and you'll catch of glimpse of the always remarkable Anthony Stewart Head (Giles!), who sadly was unable to film his singing role due to scheduling conflicts within the production.  

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in Tim Burton's Sweeny Todd

The music, originally written by Stephen Sondheim, holds up surprisingly well, even with shortened versions of some songs, that were used to lower the running time.

If you end up loving the film, do yourself a service and buy the soundtrack, or look for the orginal PBS filmed stage production starring Angela Lansbury and George Hearn.

As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD or BluRay, or add the film to your Netflix list.  For a preview, check out the trailer in HD below. 

    

Day 2: The Dark Knight

Easily one of the greatest films ever made. It also just happens to feature a vigilante that dresses up as a bat.

For anyone who has witnessed the near perfection that is The Dark Knight, the fact that the film is based on a comic book superhero is irrelevant. With his previous entry into this franchise, Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan showed audiences and critics alike that a comic book story could be told with a realistic approach, and still be an artistically relevant film.  With his follow up, he took this one step further and created an epic 2nd installment, that both continued the story, and delved further into the characters that were introduced in the previous film. The film is also notable for it's use of the IMAX format cameras to film the opening heist scene, including our introduction of the film's villain. 

There is so much to love about this film, that it's really hard to go through each specific thing individually.  But here's a brief rundown of the finest aspects...

Heath Ledger's Joker is easily the standout character, and his portrayal of Batman's most iconic nemesis is possibly the most iconic representation of the character (sorry, Jack Nicholson & Mark Hamill).  Spinning the idea of a villain that dresses like a clown on it's head, Ledger created a fully realised multi-dimensional terrorist of a villain, and the perfect foil for the film's hero.  While possessing a lack of physical strength compared to Batman, Ledger showed his Joker to be equal to, or possibly even superior to Batman, in terms of his mental prowess.  Ledger completely disappeared into the role, and it's a tragically beautiful performance, when realizing that Ledger was never even able to see the finished film, due to his passing.  The role won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2009* and rightfully so, which at least allowed his final (full) performance, to be an exclamation point, instead of a question mark.

* Ledger won his award posthumously, on February 22nd, 2009, which also happened to be my wedding day.  While not to diminish the amazing day that it already was, watching the award ceremony and his win in particular was a nice cherry of top of that amazing day.  And thankfully, my wife chose to stay married to me, even though I was checking Oscar results continuously throughout that evening.

Heath Ledger as the Joker and Christian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight

Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman (again!) all continued to deliver fantastic performances, as their respective characters of Lieutenant James Gordan, Alfred Pennyworth, and Lucius Fox.  It's really not a mystery as two why these three amazing actors were originally cast.  What is a mystery, is how they are constantly adding layers and layers of depth to these characters, that were already pretty fully realized to begin with.  These portrayals show just how talented these three actors are, and why they are each icons within the industry.

Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal both turned in fantastic performances as Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes (Gyllenhaal thankfully took over the role from the less talented Katie Holmes). Also notable were lesser supporting roles and cameos from the likes of Nestor Carbonell, Keith Szarabajka, Cillian Murphy (reprising his Scarecrow character from the previous film), Anthony Michael Hall, and the always brilliant William Fichtner.

Christian Bale continues to make his Batman the most genuine representation of the character to date*.  Bale does a fantastic job balancing the heroic motivations of our hero, with the quiet and occasionally rage-filled frustrations when kept in check by Ledger's Joker.

* While many fans often complain about the "Batvoice," it's ridiculous to think that in such a realistic interpretation of this world, that a hero trying to keep his identity a secret, wouldn't adapt an unrecognizable voice to use when out and about as his alter-ego.  This is similar to the ridiculous way in which nobody recognizes Clark Kent is Superman, because of a pair of glasses?????  Michael Keaton deepened his voice just slightly, and people ate it up like free steak.

Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard both delivered a fantastically written score, which is iconic in it's own right.  And the fantastic makeup and special effects were nominated (rightfully!) for Academy Awards for their work, but ended up losing (blasphemy!) to other films.

All-in-all, you most likely have seen this film.  If you were anything like the 22 million people that braved the crowds, you saw this film on it's opening weekend or opening night (like me).  If not, you were probably one of the people who saw the film during it's theatrical run, helping it become the third highest grossing film, behind those two Jim Cameron films (more on that at a later time).  If you happen to find yourself in the minority, having never seen the film, stop what you are doing immediately, and experience this film in all of it's magnificent glory.  As always, feel free to use the following links to purchase your own copy on DVD or BluRay (including a nice steelbook edition DVD and a sweet special edition BluRay with miniature replica Batpod), or add the film to your Netflix list.  For viewing pleasure, you can watch the opening scene in HD below. 

          

Day 1: The Shawshank Redemption

For me, The Shawshank Redemption is quite possibly the best film ever made.  Period.


While not fully appreciated when it was released in theaters, it's greatness has grown with each consistent viewing.  There are so many amazing things to point out about such a film, but let's start with the story. 


Based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King (yes, that one), the film tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a successful banker who is accused and convicted of murdering both his wife and her secret lover, and spends the next 20 years in Shawshank State Prison, all the while maintaining his innocence.  The story follows him as he develops a strong bond with a fellow inmate, Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), and learns to adapt to his new life inside the cold stone walls of the prison. 


The true magic of the film can be found in the performances of the cast, both featured and supporting.  While I never have been (and possibly never will be) a fan of Tim Robbins, there is no denying that his portrayal of Andy is absolute perfection.  Just as perfect is the performance of Morgan Freeman as Red.  While trying to pick a definitive Morgan Freeman role is like trying to pick your favorite child, his portrayal of a convicted murderer full of remorse over a crime committed as a thoughtless youth, broadcasts his pure and natural talent front and center, and he is absolutely amazing to watch.

B&W still of Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins from The Shawshank Redemption.

The supporting cast proves how adept Frank Darabont is with his casting choices.  Bob Gunton and Clancy Brown both deliver performances both shockingly evil, but tremendously enjoyable.  Also of note are brilliant turns from William Sadler as Heywood, a fellow convict in Red's inner circle, and James Whitmore as elderly inmate Brooks Hatlin.  The wise choice to choose talented character actors instead of more well-known "Hollywood" names, gives the performances more depth, and allows the supporting cast to enrich the storytelling even more.


For fans of other things than just the plot and characters, the cinematography by longtime master Roger Deakins is stunningly beautiful.  The color palette used is solemn with it's blues and grays, but it only enhances the visuals (a similar choice that worked for him on another recent film that he shot, The Coen's True Grit). The amazing score from Thomas Newman (mixed with some wise music cues as well) is also nothing short of fantastic.  


The nice thing about The Shawshank Redemption is that it's a timeless story, but one that is accessible to all.  Unlike a lot of typical Hollywood fare, you'll find no car chases, shootouts, gratuitous sex, excessive CGI, or anything else other than one simple formula:  take a great story, fill it with capable performers, and allow it to speak for itself.  This allows the film to speak to all audiences, despite their age, gender, race, etc. 


There really is nothing more I can say about this film, other than this:  if you've seen it already, you know I speak the truth, and if you haven't, get busy watchin'.  Listed below are links to where you can purchase a variety of editions on both DVD and BluRay, or for you Netflix folk, the film is easily available to add to your list.  I recommend no film higher than this one, and the greatest accomplishment of this blog, is if one person takes the chance and experiences something new.