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| Movies,
Dan Wolff,
20 January 1999 |
Rating: F2
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Deja vu sets in straight away as director Frank Darabont follows up his 1930's prison drama based on a Stephen King story with...a 1930's prison drama based on a Stephen King story. This time round we follow the lives of warders and inmates situated in death row (the floor leading to 'the chair' is lime green, hence the title). Tom Hanks plays Paul Edgecomb, surpise surprise the friendly guard whose life is changed with the appearance of a huge new prisoner who seems different from the rest in more ways than one. John Coffey allegedly killed two small girls but prefers to have the light on in his cell at night because he is afraid of the dark. Things go really astray when he 'heals' Tom Hanks' urinal infection just by touching him, putting doubts into his mind that he is guilty.
What starts as a promising premise soon turns positively moronic as the film progesses (very slowly as it happens at over three hours). Not only that, at times it simplifies the whole death penalty issue to the point of being patronising and child-like. Far superior and moving is Dead Man Walking which drives the emotions a lot further. It doesn't help matters that there is a Mousehunt style sub-plot that adds to the stupidity. One saving grace is a scene stealing performance from the excellent Sam Rockwell as William 'Wild Bill' Wharton who gives everyone around him as hard time as possible. Visually, especially the harsh execution scenes, it works which makes is more fustrating that it fails on every other level.
UK rating:
18
US rating:
R
Frank Darabont 1999 USA
Tom Hanks, James Cromwell, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse
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