saberlee44 Review of The Exonerated

The Exonerated (2005 TV Movie)

I know I'm in the minority, but I was bored senseless

[1/10 · 4 May 2006]

I know I would have had far more appreciation for this in play form. I didn't know it had been a play until I started watching it and it became immediately obvious to me. Some of my favorite actors were in this film; their work was excellent, and the stories important. That said, I found it painfully boring to watch. Maybe I wasn't in the mood to watch a showcase for actors delivering mostly monologues against a black background. It was so slow and it hurt my brain to try and remember each story as it switched from one to the other. I had the same pain when reading Winesberg, Ohio. I'm not here to say it was a bad film; not true. I rented it because of the cast, because I wanted to be absorbed in something. This was the first film I ever rented that I could not finish watching. Many of you will love it; for me, just excruciating to watch. I would have preferred a documentary just telling me the story and not letting me have to painfully wait for each detail so that the actors could "feel the moment."