Felon (DVD)

What I figured was going to be an extremely run of the mill ended up being a riveting prison drama, as a man protecting his family ends up convicted of involuntary manslaughter and finding himself sent to a corrupt prison where he must watch his back and fight his own corner f he wants to survive and see his family again.

Stephen Dorff stars as Wade Porter, who chases a man from his home and strikes him with a baseball bat when he ...
...with a man who has killed violently, and becomes a source of entertainment for other inmates and the guards. He realises he has to man up around the yard if he is to survive his time inside and get out with enough of his life left to live.

Val Kilmer gives an excellent performance as John Smith, Wade's cellmate, a seemingly violent man with a lot more to him than just a mass murderer. Kilmer develops the character very well throughout ... more

What I figured was going to be an extremely run of the mill ended up being a riveting prison drama, as a man protecting his family ends up convicted of involuntary manslaughter and finding himself sent to a corrupt prison where he must watch his back and fight his own corner f he wants to survive and see his family again.

Stephen Dorff stars as Wade Porter, who chases a man from his home and strikes him with a baseball bat when he reaches for his pocket. He finds himself sharing a cell with a man who has killed violently, and becomes a source of entertainment for other inmates and the guards. He realises he has to man up around the yard if he is to survive his time inside and get out with enough of his life left to live.

Val Kilmer gives an excellent performance as John Smith, Wade's cellmate, a seemingly violent man with a lot more to him than just a mass murderer. Kilmer develops the character very well throughout the film. Harold Perrineau, recently seen in 'Lost' also excels as corrupt prison lieutenant Jackson. Indeed, the supporting cast all deserve a round of applause, as they give us a powerful portrayal of a corruption that is often unseen.

There is nothing really in real life to show that this sort of thing goes on unseen, or at least, nothing that is easy to prove, yet it is quite often that you see it on film. However, it is rarely shown in this format with an element of realism to it. You normally get the feeling that it is fiction, but this film somehow gives off a feeling or reality, and it kept me transfixed throughout.

There is nothing fancy about the film. It relies on brutality and emotion, and on the audience connecting with the characters on the right and wrong side of the law within it. In fact, it is quite easy to sympathise with most characters, with even the corrupt Jackson given a moment of pity when he experiences a bit of personal pain. Yet the majority of the film paints him as the villain, and Porter as the hero, so to speak, not forgetting the pain of those affected on the outside of the prison walls, families and friends of inmates as well as the guards within their private lives.

Overall, it is a riveting hour and a half, expertly acted, and a film I am genuinely surprised at. I expected it to be good, but not this good. There was not a moment of it that was wasted. There could easily have been a temptation to stretch this to nearly two hours, and waffle a little with some filler at points, but every second of screen time had a reason and a point to it, and it made it a top film, as opposed to just a brilliant one. The DVD is available for £4.98 from amazon.co.uk, and I highly recommend watching it if you get the chance. 

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