The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Didn't I say Frank Darabont is the undisputed master of adapting Stephen King's writings for the big screen? Had I seen Darabont's work in chronological order, The Shawshank Redemption would have sold me in a way that The Mist already did. As it stands, though, seeing The Shawshank Redemption 14 years after its release (I know, I waited that long?) only solidifies my belief that Darabont-King is as powerful a partnership as Bonnie and Clyde.

I'm quite certain I'm the last person in the world who hadn't seen what IMDB.com consistently ranks in the Top Three Movies of all time, so is a plot summary really necessary? Doesn't everyone already know that this is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit as told through the example of humble Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and his wrongful imprisonment in Shawshank? And do I need to highlight Morgan Freeman's equally pivotal and heartfelt role as fellow convict Red? Need I mention the venal and villainous prison staff, corrupt Warden Norton (a gruesomely inhuman Bob Gunton) and cruel Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown, who you'll never believe after this went on to voice SpongeBob's crabby employer Mr. Krabs)?

Do I need to tell you to see this film if you haven't already? This is excellent, moving filmmaking, unflinching in its depiction of prison life and unrelenting in its honest portrayal of integrity. Star performances abound here, from Robbins as the most decent man alive to Freeman who does more than just portray the wise mentor. Neither the direction nor the score call attention to themselves, the hallmark of a job well done.

The pace is leisurely, taking its time to explore character more than generate suspense. The plot meanders, turning to and fro through plot twist after plot twist - the acquisition of Shawshank's library is peaceful but surprising nonetheless. Then the end - in which a poster of Raquel Welch proves to be more important than anyone might imagine (save those who, like me, read Stephen King's original short story, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) - drops like a sack of potatoes, and as the film unfolds the truth of what happened the night Shawshank changed forever, your jaw will drop in "I should have seen this coming but wow what an ending!" glory.

Of course this is also the movie that gave us a sterling narration from Morgan Freeman. Freeman's the real reason I rented this one, being more than impressed with his performance in The Dark Knight, and he doesn't disappoint here. Nor does Tim Robbins, of whom I'm not a particular fan but who redeems himself and his character over the course of the movie. Credit a solid screenplay and solidly human acting for this Redemption.

The Mist (2007)

Resolved: if there are to be any more adaptations of Stephen King's writings, Frank Darabont must be behind the wheel. Darabont, the man behind critically heralded King flicks The Shawshank Redemption (which I'll have to get around to seeing one of these days) and The Green Mile (which I commend for being one of the most faithful and most incredible adaptations of any work of literature ever). With 2007's The Mist, Darabont did something risky - change the ending of King's original novella.

And King preferred that ending to his own. Kudos, Mr. D.

Kudos also for making one of the most suspenseful - but perhaps not the scariest - movies I've seen in a long while. By restricting the action of the plot (for the most part) to a supermarket sealed off by a mysterious creature-filled mist, Darabont keeps the film rolling with a cast of characters trying to survive. Thomas Jane (fresh off his "I just want my kids back!" cameo on Arrested Development, a cameo that probably won't be far from your mind) wants to defend his son and escape the creatures outside, supermarket employee Ollie (the fortunately inimitable Toby Jones) is the standard sidekick with a shooting-gallery twist, and Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden, who seems to have been snubbed as a Best Supporting Actress) is the obligatory religious nut who believes the mist is an End Times reckoning from on high.

If it sounds a bit formulaic, don't let that fool you. The Mist is anything but. The performances keep the movie from verging on cardboard, and the characters are all thoroughly engaging. Though the film deals with the same themes that King has explored since Salem's Lot - the fact that the supernatural threats are less terrifying than the darkness within ourselves - the film is as disorientingly unfamiliar as the best science fiction.

Then there's the matter of the ending. What do we do with an ending like this one? Is it a desperate plea for the preservation of hope, or simply a brilliant exercise in irony? Is it the destruction of King's ending or the construction of a better one? Or is it a classic example of the theory that gets thrown around a lot when Lost is mentioned - purgatory? Whatever it is, it left me in stunned silence after the credits rolled. I'm not ready yet to assess it as a "great" or "terrible" ending, but I'll say it's unforgettable.

From a critical standpoint it seems as though I'm not saying anything earth-shattering here. Then allow this postulation: Darabont needs to sue J.J. Abrams and the makers of Cloverfield, and fast. I thought Cloverfield was an outstanding accomplishment in the monster suspense genre, but it seems Abrams and Cloverfield director Matt Reeves took more than a few pages from Darabont's what-I-now-realize-as superior film. Shaky cam? Check. Insect-like creatures and a larger crab-like monster? Check. Army presence (and possible culpability)? Check. Lovable character getting devoured by vicious pincer-bearing creature just when escape seems certain? Check. Ambiguous shock ending? You get the picture.

Skip Cloverfield and see what an original movie The Mist is. Leave it to Stephen King to outdo fresher faces in the movie world.