With Robert De Niro and Edward Norton at the head of the ticket and John Curran (THE PAINTED VEIL) directing, STONE was pushed like most everything else for awards consideration. But while it wasn’t really a serious contender that doesn’t mean it’s not worth renting.
From the trailer, STONE looks like a thriller but the movie isn’t what it seems. Stone (Edward Norton) is a prison inmate who is being reviewed for parole. Jack (De Niro) is in charge of the parole review. At first, Jack, who is jaded and nearing retirement, feels like Stone isn’t worthy of parole. But then he meets Stone’s eager to please wife (Milla Jovovich).
Surprisingly more interesting than entertaining, STONE offers splendid performances within an unusual container featuring a mature and meaningful comment on finding one’s personal Jesus. Where films like Eastwood’s HEREAFTER felt like a supernatural drama, STONE goes another way, which might be a bit of a letdown to some viewers looking for something with more bite and frankly more thrilling. No, STONE’s the drama that the publicists and marketers don’t want you to know about and that’s fine with me.
STONE is available tomorrow on DVD.
Watch the trailer: