Dead Man Walking (1995)

For Lee Robbins and Thelma Bledsoe...

If you wonder who those two people were, Thelma Bledsoe was director Tim Robbins' maternal grandmother, and Lee Robbins his paternal grandfather, who died during the filming of The Shawshank Redemption. One of the reasons Robbins dedicated this film to them is that they helped put him through college. Source.

The movie's a death row story, about a convict, a nun, and the world of hurt they go through together on their path to redemption.

Or rather his redemption. Her learning. Their mutual bonding and individual departure. It's some real shit. Slow but emotional.

I'm impressed with how effortless the soundtrack seems. It comes and goes but never takes over; never feels out of place.

The events are slow. There's a lot of dialog. Not a lot of action.

I think I tried to dislike this just a little for the religious touch, but how can I hate a message of love like this one. Or of a nun who doesn't preach, but does her job, no matter how taxing. I wish more leaders were like her. She reminds me of Mother Theresa. Selfless. Maybe a little naive. At first. Not when it's all over. Not halfway through either.

The movie feels authentic. Sad and authentic. Sad but true.
The mishaps and misunderstandings we go through. The luck of lack thereof we have, and how our lives can turn around in just one bad moment... not that I relate to the bad moment here depicted. Not that I've ever been totally out of my mind on drugs and booze. Not that I ever grew up in that kind of household. Luck's been on my side, but it's a movie you immerse yourself in regardless.

As the credits role I'm struck by the realization that you immediately know it's the nothing-after-the-credits kind too. Whenever did that become a rarity? Whenever did entertainment take over and the essentials of film get so lost? It's like when they stopped respecting the finality of the end they somehow lost an essential part of what a movie is.

That's all. Great watch. Already said it.

 rated 5/5: friggin awesome