''He that lives upon hope will die fasting.'' - Benjamin Franklin

Frankly, I really don't get the praise for this film. It wouldn't even be in my Top 250.

The only thing my spouse has been able to glean from researching the topic on the internet is that psychologically people seem to like the film more and more upon repeated viewings. Well, that and Morgan Freeman's calming voice.

Not that challenging cinematically and a bit of a fantasy that pawns itself off as gritty realism, to be honest.

Not to be an alarmist, but part of me wonders whether this film would be Exhibit A should the country ever descend into a fascist dictatorship much like "From Caligari to Hitler" by Siegfried Kracauer examined German film during the rise of the Nazi's after World War I. There is something going on on a group psychology level here that bears examination.