Felon – 2008
Felon is a straight to DVD film which was actually pretty damn good, although it carries a similar storyline to many other ‘newbie in prison’ films this one was gripping and more emotional than others before it. Not quite draped in the Hollywood tinsel.
The acting performances from both Stephen Dorff and Val Kilmer are surprisingly good, as well as from Harold Perrineau (fans of Lost will recognise him). The story revolves around Wade Porter (Dorff) a family man with everything going his way in life. When he is charged with manslaughter for killing a burglar Porter is sent to a maximum security prison where he is forced to survive the sadistic day to day rigors dished out by prison guard Lt. Jackson.
Kilmer and Dorff connect well as a pair of cons both suited to each other in terms of family life taken away from them and taking justice into their own hands, while Lt. Jackson has his own emotional drawings away from the prison raising his son. The film delves into the lives of each man and we gain an underwhelming amount about each one.
The camera work feels, at times somewhat amateurish but that I think was the idea, in some scenes it felt like some kind of prison documentary and other times as if you were an inmate from a third person perspective. Overall it’s a violent watch with some graphic scenes but all fit in well to the overall narrative.
View the trailer
Rating:
(3.5/5)
DVD Extras: Shark Tank: An Inside Look at Felon
Blu-ray Extras: same as for the DVD version
Please feel free to leave a comment about this film I would love to know what you think and I will do my best to respond!
