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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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