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The Green Mile

The Green Mile

List Price: $19.96
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Another Great Contribution from Darabont & His Team...
Review: From one of America's finest horror / thriller writer, Stephen KING, movingly and beautifully portrayed by the Director, Frank Darabont who once brought you another Oscar nominee, The Shawshank Redemption a few years ago, this is the story of, among others, a miracle of God in the final chapter of his life having been experienced and seen through the eyes of, among other witnesses, the Chief Guard of Cold Mountain prison in '30s ( Tom Hanks ).

Customarily, with his legacy style of writing King tied up characters in his book including the Mr. Jingles the mouse, a not so clever French / American inmate named Eduard Delacroix, a pain-in-the-butt, merciless guard with big connection, a real nightmarish, insane redneck whose hidden sins had yet to be paid for more than the world could perceive and ably justify, the miracle himself and THE INSIDER / storyteller within a certain place ( Cold Mountain Prison ) and knitted them all in such an emotionally moving, sophisticated, thought-provoking, relevantly plot-driven fashion that virtually has become his signature already. In this movie Frank Darabont and his team showcased their professionalism in every facet of the art of movie-making as well as the ability to keep viewers enjoying, interested, curious and sitting still in front of the screen for literally more than 03 hours ( you won' t get bored, I confirm ).

Tom Hanks, once again, at his best; Michael Clark Duncan with his amazingly convincing character John Coffey, the Miracle; great cameo role as Coffey's defendant attorney by Gary Sinise; Hutchison and others did their good jobs too. Still haven' t been able to figure out why the Academy overlooked, once again, monsieur Darabont's direction for the GOD-ONLY-KNOWS-WHY second time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for diehard movieheads, If you like the Green Mile a lot, chances are you will do The Shawshank Redemption too. So check it out right about now. SP

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Green Mile is EXCELLENT!
Review: This movie is a must see for 2000. The cast is brilliant, as is the plot. Stephen King created a masterpiece and the director Frank Darabont does a fantastic job as well. This touching story surely takes you on a ride! SEE THIS FILM!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An immensly pleasurable experience
Review: Due to some of the other reviews i have read, i feel it is necessary to say this: If you are looking for a realistic prison movie, get a documentary. If, however, you are looking for a timeless story with incredible characterization and cunning insight into the human mind, look no further.

The Green Mile is fantastic escapist work of speculative fiction in the tradition of Shawshank Redemption, but with a mystical twist. This is perhaps the best King novel to be put to film, preserving both the meaning and the art of the novel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Almost Real
Review: I understand that coming from this part of the world (Asia) and having been in this world only in the last 2 decades, I have little knowledge of the REAL racial prejuice back early last century although I have studied literature on it.

The film in question provided a well-mix of emotions when watched. "Reality" apart (please do not forget that this was based on a novel), it provides a lot of inward reaches into the soul when one watches it with an open mind.

Apart from the 1930s settings, the story can well be set in the present context; jailbirds on deathrow, regret for their misdeeds, mistreatment by guards, finding some joy in their last days, finding hope when there is none. If the time and place of the movie upsets you because "it wasn't like that during that time", perhaps you can imagine it as modern-time. Remember though, the supernatural element that is the core of the plot.

I must say that the humour, sadness, joy, horror and pity that filled me after watching it created a pool for reflection. Mind you, not on how much the film matched "reality" back in the 1930s but how we treat fellow human beings and even animals.

If you have been out of touch with your feelings, I strongly recommend that you watch The Green Mile. Watch it with an open mind and focus not on how accurate the story is in reference to what really happened (as the other reviewers had mentioned) but on the humanity of it all.

Let your feelings overwhelm you at the deaths of the characters. Let the cruelty hit you. Let the tears sting your eyes. Enjoy it as a real person.

I know that I'm going to keep a VCD of this movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Green Mile Goes The Extra Mile
Review:

This was an excellent movie. This was a movie that shows the best andworst of mankind. The Green Mile is set in the 1930's among the ColdMountain Prison. Tom Hanks plays a caring, decect guard that treats all his prisoners with respect. There is one guard, though, that is a complete jerk.

An inmate, John Coffey (Michael Duncan), is brought to Death Row. Once there, he reveals a side of him that helps mankind.

This movie portrays the side of man that is unrivaled since The Shawshank Redemption. Be on the look out for Mr. Jingles. By all means, watch this movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Offensive (well made) rubbish
Review: Having read the other reviews I'm unsure whether I watched the same film. My wife and I thought that it was both unbelievable, filled with stereotypes and offensive.

A black man in the 1930s get caught by a white mob, including the father, after having apparently raped and killed two white girls. I don't think that he would have lived long enough to be tried and sentenced to death.

This is just the first in a sequence of unbelievable events (and I'm not even referring here to the "mystical" element of the movie).

Tom Hanks' character (and brutal and the other "good" guards) are so unreal it is breathtaking. Are we really supposed to believe that guards working in a US prison in the 1930s (and moreover working on deathrow) were actually kind, loving and racially tolerant people? Decent men undertaking a tough job "that someone has to do". Too reminiscent of the picture that Nazi apologists would like to paint of "people just following orders" for me.

The only "nasty" guard was also a stereotype - but in the other direction. Of course, he had to be short to conform with prejudices that short people have a chip on their shoulder. Another required (stereotypical) characteristic was that despite being a sadist he was actually a coward.

The John Coffey character was probably the worst case of "Uncle Tomism" I've seen in some time. In fact the character was very reminiscent of how blacks were portrayed in the 1930s - as dumm but wiling servants, always ready to sacrifice themselves for whites and not even resentful for being treated as a second class citizen.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the film was its treatment of deathrow. Although there were some grim scenes the tone of the film seemed to trivialise the brutality of the death sentence. Watching the first half (with the "cute" mouse) I could have been watching a sit-com.

Overall a thoroughly unpleasant (and unpleasantly long) experience.

We went to see the film on the basis of the Oscar nominations, before reading any reviews. Not a mistake we will be making again soon.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Pyschologically thrilling and mentally disturbing
Review: When i walked out of the cinema after watching the show, i went "WAH, that was a good movie" It kept me holding on to my seat for most of the time because it is certainly so "scary". I found the electric chair scenes extremely disturbing, especially the second one which the sponge was not wet. It seemed like i could actually smell the body frying from where i was sitted. The movie was simply AWESOME! Well, i wished that we had a six-star rating.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Perhaps the worst Big Budget film of the year. . . .
Review: . . . . but then, I didn't much like "The Shawshank Redemption", which, according to my buddies, makes me nearly subhuman, or at least devoid of sentiment. I like to think I'm usually devoid of cheap sentimentality for sure; "The Green Mile" certainly outdoes the other movie in that category. I really hated this movie, in other words.

Funny thing is, I really enjoy prison movies. The genre tends to bring out the best in everyone involved -- actors, writers, directors. "Papillon" made even Steve McQueen seem like a good actor. But as realized by Frank Darabont, this prison movie resembles an Oprah Winfrey Movie of the Week -- this pen becomes a "nurturing", "supportive" environment, for Pete's sake. Well, consider the source: Mr. King is, no one denies, sharply attuned to cultural trends, and the New Age feel of this movie will obviously attract adherents.

More aggravating (to me, at least) than that, however, is the inexcusably long running-time. There is simply not enough material here to justify three-hours length. You can cut this exactly in half and have a perfectly whole movie. Darabont's pacing is murderously slow, and he's not alone in this distressing new trend ("Eyes Wide Shut" was similarly marred by a relentless STRETCHING-OUT of dialogue and so forth). Clearly, some directors have got it in their heads that slow-pacing equals Oscar nominations -- and, judging from this film's success, they are right. These filmmakers really must think they've got another "Greed" on their hands, or something. Well, they don't.

I also had a big problem with the John Coffey character. The white-liberal guilt which created this personage is astonishing. John Coffey. Initials -- J.C. Get it? Doubtlessly intimidated by the prospect of inventing a realistic African-American, King, Darabont,& Co. give us nothing less than a personification of the Savior Himself. Then, rather curiously, they give him diction reminiscent of "Amos 'N' Andy". I know the film takes place in the 1930's -- seventy years ago -- but John Coffey's "Yes, massa" palaver rather suggests that King (and Darabont) researched their character by strictly watching that Shirley Temple movie with Mr. Bojangles or maybe even "Gone With the Wind". Very few of us remember the '30's in the Deep South, so the accuracy of the character's speech, while debatable, is ultimately speculative. In any event, it's insulting to watch.

As, indeed, is the whole movie. A mouse called "Mr. Jingles". The instant curing of cancer. The absolute goodness or evilness of the characters -- no surprise, I suppose, since King is not really known for his subtle insights into humanity. The relentless close-ups of the actors as a way of conveying depth of emotions. I'm sorry, but in its mentality, this movie recalls the worst of 1950's melodrama. For all who loved this mawkish waste of time, you're welcome to it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I got just what I was expecting!
Review: I was desperate that The Green Mile would reach the movies in Puerto Rico, ever since I saw the previews. It was all or more of what I expected. Tom Hanks was superb, as always, not to mention Michael Duncan and the rest of the cast. I can't wait to read the book!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AS GOOD AS IT GETS
Review: Right from the start it grabs your attention and wont let go until thecredits are finished, Tom Hanks does a fantastic job as usual. This is Micheal Duncan`s (Bear in Armageddon) best performance, nobody else could have played the part. Mr. Jingles will have you smiling and wiping your eyes (and hes just the mouse)Overall on of the best movies in along time


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