Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Shawshank Redemption and Body of Lies, two movie treats!

I normally don't have the concentration required to watch an entire movie in one sitting, but this week I managed two.

The Shawshank Redemption, written by Stephen King, is a pretty horrifying prison story.  It was edited for TV so I imagine unedited it would have been brutal.  In any case, King can tell a story like no one else.  If only for watching Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman interact, it's worth watching.  It had an ending none of us could predict, and we were all left in awe.  If you watch it, consider what subterfuge and the art of distraction has to do with it.

Body of Lies, starring Leo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.  They make Crowe look heavy, grey, and old and damn if he doesn't still look good.  What seemed amazing though, was how he completely became another person.  Ten minutes into this thriller, you forget he's acting and he simply becomes Ed Hoffman with irritating tics and mannerisms.  I think I know why this bombed in theatres, I don't think people really want to think that hard about what is going on in the Middle East.  This too had an unexpected ending and the whole viewing had us guessing for what would play out (and we were all wrong too).  Great movie.  Sadly, I seem to be getting to be less frightened of violence, as long as it's movie violence and not reality. 

Both movies were thinking films, and I plan to rent State of Play next.

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