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"The Shawshank Redemption" is an eminently engaging film about two imprisoned convicted murderers in the 1950's.
Andy Dufresne (wonderfully portrayed by Tim Robbins), is innocent, however. Convicted of killing his wife and her lover (a crime for which he clearly had a strong motive), he really "didn't do it". Of course, as his jailbird friend "Red" (equally well-portrayed by Morgan Freeman) puts it, "Everybody in here is innocent." Well, Red is "the only guilty man" in Shawshank Prison. As their friendship develops, Andy learns the ropes of prison.
Meanwhile, the warden (Bob Gunton) decides that Andy, a well-educated former banker could carry out something more useful than laundry. So, he installs Andy as the prison librarian, and later, as his accountant (he does taxes for all the jail's employees). Andy also assists the warden in laundering money (as he tells Red, "I was always an honest man -- I had to come to jail to become a crook!")
All the actors were terrific, and the film is intelligently plotted. Although normally it's hard to find likeable criminals as film characters, Red's personality is strangely genial. Andy's quiet knowledge is also interesting to watch; you always know he's thinking several steps ahead of everyone else around him.
My rating: 3 stars
Rating: R
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