The Green Mile (1999) Dir: Frank Darabont
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I am always hesitant to watch a film that reaches the 3 hour mark, and it took me a long time to get round to this one, despite its critical acclaim. Based on the Stephen King book of the same name, this Frank Darabont directed drama is an extremely emotional watch.
As illuded to, the film surpasses the 3 hour mark, which definitely makes it a bit of a slog at times, especially considering it is not exactly an action film. Beyond that though, it is a brilliant story that broke my heart in the best way.
Tom Hanks stars, and provides a very Tom Hanks performance. His innately sincere demeanour and ability to be believable in just about every role he plays allows him to convey his character's inner conflict to the audience effectively.
The other star of the film is Michael Clarke Duncan, who provides one of the most endearing and heartwrenching performances I've seen, maybe ever. He is truly superb, especially in the second and third acts.
David Morde has a decent showing in one of the key supporting roles, with his best scenes coming when interacting with Hanks and Doug Hutchison.
Speaking of whom, Doug Hutchison is another to have a relatively strong showing in his role as one of the film's antagonists. He exudes the sliminess of his character perfectly at times, which allows the audience to truly hate him, as they're supposed to.
Finally, I'll mention some other noteworthy cast members, who I just don't have the time available to go into, but deserve credit; Bonnie Hunt, Gary Sinise, Jeffrey DeMunn, Barry Pepper, James Cromwell, and in particular, the duo of Sam Rockwell and Michael Jeeter.
Overall, while viewer's attention spans may struggle, and you might need an understandable break, this is a wonderfully emotional and thought provoking story that features two beautiful performances from its lead pairing, who do this heartwrenching story justice.
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