Now living and working in Glasgow. Looking forward to write some new reviews.
Now living and working in Glasgow. Looking forward to write some new reviews.
Member since:29.11.2000
Reviews:106
Members who trust:87
This is the second Stephen King adaptation by producer / director Frank Darabont, the first being the awesome 1994 classic "The Shaw Shank Redemption" another movie set on death row.
This time the story again is a simple prison tale and is a hopeful charmer with a hint of the supernatural in there too.
The film starts with Hanks in an old folks home filled with emotion whilst watching an old Fred Astaire movie reminds him of his younger days working as a Prison Officer on death row, he begins to narrate the story and the flashbacks begin which sets the scene for the rest of the film.
Paul's life was to be changed forever by the arrival of a new inmate John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a massive black man convicted of raping to young white girls.
Duncan was certainly the most perfect person suited to this role, he was a giant, and he was simply awesome at being the gentle giant. Nominated for best supporting actor
at the Oscars an award he should have won.
Coffey (Duncan) was not your average psychopathic killer he was kind and for his size was ever so gentle, but revealed in the film one of the saddest things was he was afraid of the dark! Even though his crimes were great and as the film progresses Edgecomb (Hanks) quickly starts to realise that Coffey just may be innocent.
The films runs on many different story lines it is not just one white man's crusade to save the life an innocent black man, the film has many twists like many of King's classic novel's and who better than Darabont to capture them, Darabont has always been King's favourite translator to big screen.
There is the mouse unusual, yes! But it was likeable, this was no ordinary mouse, this mouse could fetch and do all the normal things that a well-trained dog could do, as little as this mouse is it is a strong key that unlocks later in the film.
Then there was Death Row itself, it plays a major part in the film not only do you get to see a few electrocutions, you get an in depth sight the rehearsals on how the procedures would have been carried out in those days, adapted very well and ever so chilling. The guards during these processes always sounding like the heroes as they comforted there bate, to them it was their job, but to their victims they made it as dignified as possible. There is one exception to this and this is Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchison) he was a sadistic guard and had never participated in an electrocution and all he wanted was "to see one cook", this is another moving twist in the tale but has its repercussions for Percy.
We soon see the appearance of James Cromwell who plays a very sympathetic warden, who's wife is dying of cancer, in scenes depicting this Cromwell is outstanding at showing his grief over his wife's illness, this is another twist to the tale also very moving.
Coffey soon becomes friends with Edgecomb as he cures him from a urinary infection that he has had, and he is able to have sex with his wife for the first time in a long time, and four times in the one night a record for them apparently and this particular scene was one of the many funny twists in the story. This is where the supernatural starts to appear and when Edgecomb realises that Coffey is no psychopathic killer.
We meet one of the other cheeky inmates Eduard "Del" Delacroix (Michael Jeter), he is the one that befriends the mascot mouse and names him Mr Jangles, with Del and Mr Jangles we see yet another story line develop and this one is good and supernatural is now affirmed.
There is also "Wild Bill" (Sam Rockwell) William Wharton, who seems to be the only inmate worthy of the death penalty compared to the quiet natures of his fellow inmates, "Wild Bill" adds the chaos to Death row that I think you would expect.
Then comes the time for Coffey to face his death, after many twists he finally meets his final moment, when asked his last request he simply requested that they kept the light on! That had me in tears, running down my face and slowly leaving my seat as I awaited the masses to leave and avoid them seeing my emotional side.
Just before the end we see Coffey watching a movie and it was the Fred Astaire movie that we saw Edgecomb watching in the home, and this is the final twist as to why did a that movie remind Edgecomb of his prison days!
There we have it, if you are intrigued and would like to unfold all the twists that I have afore mentioned then rent this one, it is an epic and the quality is outstanding from all the actors and never ever have I saw a book so well adapted to the big screen, and on that note it makes just as hell of a good read as it does a view.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
For some reason, have not seen it but will do now. Great op. Will have to go a long way to beat Shawshank though
elspeth334 06.02.2001 19:31
Fantastic film and a great review Thanks
Chuckie8766 19.01.2001 16:38
Excellent writing style that you have here, don't waste your talent, you will go very far if you keep writing like this, another very interesting yet informative opinion. Keep on at it!
"The book was better" has been the complaint of many a reader since the invention of ... more
films.The Green Mileis Frank Darabont's second adaptation of a Stephen King prison dramaThe Shawshank Redemptionwas the first) and is a very faithful adaptation of Kin...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
"The book was better" has been the complaint of many a reader since the invention of ... more
films.The Green Mileis Frank Darabont's second adaptation of a Stephen King prison dramaThe Shawshank Redemptionwas the first) and is a very faithful adaptation of Kin...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is a slightly cynical veteran prison guard on death row in the ... more
1930's. Hi faith, and sanity, deteriorated by watching men live and die, Edgecomb is about to have a complete turn around in attitude. Enter John Coffey (Oscar nom...
Advantages: Fantastic Storyline, Acting Superb, Very Moving and a box office hit Disadvantages: It is 3 hours long and thats the only bad thing you could say
DJ_Rock 16.08.2001 (03.09.2001)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Green Mile (DVD)
![The Green Mile [DVD] [2000]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78527693.jpg "The Green Mile [DVD] [2000]")
Jan 6th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
