Brubaker

A wonderful celebration of human dignity and personality delivered through Robert Redford's heroic and arguably best performance. Brubaker is a character we will cheer for, sympathize with, and, despite any negativity from the other guards, agree with everything he does in his difficult journey to improve. It’s a film that perhaps won’t wring you out as much as the incomparable Shawshank Redemption or the narrative Papillon, but it still has enormous power, great moral depth, and it’s an interesting to look at America's corrupt prisons from also the warden's perspective, rather than just a wrongfully convicted or escaped prisoner. From a filmmaker's point of view, the emotional ending is like carrying wood into a forest, but I felt so beautiful during it, as if the loud and resounding applause for the tireless and unappreciated director belonged to me. Brubaker ended up deep under my skin, and I have no doubt that Frank Darabont must have watched it several times before embarking on his first feature. (19.12.2012)

Robert Redford is such a great and powerful actor that he can convince you that this prison drama, which is approached a bit differently, is indeed original and somewhat new. In reality, however, it doesn't bring anything all that groundbreaking, just another human perspective on prisoners. But you'll still enjoy it. At least I enjoyed it immensely. (14.10.2016)