48 - Dolores Claiborne

    Dolores, an older maid, is accused of murdering her elderly employer.  Her daughter returns to the hometown, as they explore the situation that led to the death of her father, as well as the death of the employer.
    Stephen King movies tend to suffer from the same problems as his books - they start off very well, but they tend to devolve into absurdity during the last act.  This is one of the real exceptions to this rule.  I've never read the book, so it's hard to claim that it plays out the same way.  But this story has only one mystic moment in it, and it's easy to dismiss.
    What makes this movie so special is how wonderfully it's put together.  Things move a little slowly on occasion, but we keep on learning just enough to keep the movie feeling like a string of discovery.  There are dark aspects to the story.  Murder, abuse, corrupt authority.  None of it feels forced.  It all unfolds in a natural way.  Ok, sometimes characters seem a little too witty for their own good, but it's worthwhile.
    It's a solid two hours.  I often find myself re-engrossed each time I see it.  Something about the story is ephemeral - I remember the details for about a day or two, then forget most of them in time for the next viewing.  I think this is the third or fourth time I've watched it, and it always feels like a rewarding experience.
    There's a sense of horror to the story, moreso than The Shawshank Redemption, but with a similar sense of ease to the end of it.  We feel like justice has been served, even in the face of low odds.