DEAD MAN WALKING
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros
(Gramercy) Directed by Tim Robbins Written by Tim Robbins, from the book by Sister Helen Prejean Cast Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for language, violence, and rape) Running Time 122 minutes Reviewed at Movies at Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Pleasant, SC (3FEB96)
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The set-up is deceptively simple in this much-acclaimed Southern drama from writer/director Tim Robbins (BOB ROBERTS). Susan Sarandon plays a nun on a last-minute mission to save the soul of Sean Penn's convicted murderer on death row. It's a straight-forward set-up that firmly holds our attention through the various preachy, predictable, and downright tedious turns taken by the story. The subtext is capital punishment and Robbins-- adapting from Sister Helen Prejean's best seller-- lays it on a bit thick. To the director's credit, his in-your-face exploration of the issue is (reasonably) balanced on both sides of the argument. He also keeps the theatrics to a considerable minimum. (The Christ allusions at the end do get a bit tiresome, though.) Both Penn and Sarandon do impossibly good work here and will be likely contenders at Oscar time. Also worth noting is supporting actor Robert Prosky, usually just another familiar face and who, for a change, actually finds some flavor.
Grade: B+
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Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC
legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w)
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