Felon

This is one of those films that I'd always try to remember. The characters in the film are very realistic. Stephen Dorff, Marisa Nichols carried it really well. MR. Kilmer played a pivotal role towards the end, for all the dubious minds who'd question his character/ role in the film.

I believe Ric Roman did a wonderful job by addressing the many different situations that we as humans can go through in daily life. It was simple yet smart and a powerful film. I may not watch it again for, I do not want to witness the horrid situations again, but I'd definitely recommend it once for all!!

I can't say that I like it.

I can't say that I don't like it.

This sadly is the truth of what prison is like.

You can get jailed for little reason and unless your defense is solid, you go to jail - whether it's long term or not, there are rules...and they are not the same as outside.

Many times the guards are far worse than the inmates who are detained...and this proves it to a better perspective than most jail movies I've seen.

It's a game that once you leave that courtroom, you have to learn very quickly.

To those that commented on being charged and arrested for protecting your family - yes, sad but true...unless you were injured there was a weapon in direct contact, should you kill somebody or even injure them serious enough to be disabled or have physical problem, then you can be charged with murder, attempted murder, willful negligence and a slew of other charges.

Even if you were in a convenience store and it was being robbed and you worked as a cashier...unless a weapon was brought onto you, should you defend yourself and hold and sustain the attacker - you are liable for criminal charges...even if there are witnesses and camera video recordings.

The justice system is beyond messed.

If you were to injure somebody in a related instance, it would sometimes be better to be killed in the same event - as the law can screw you severely.

This happens in the US and in Canada.

Nobody is innocent and that is the sad but true fact.

Your own home, locked, secured and protected by you and your family has little value the moment you decide to defend yourself and have any good chance in doing so.

Justice is blind, it's for the wealthy and the famous.

Never rely on the public defender. Do whatever you must to get a lawyer that does not work for the county...they are a joke to the defense system and have virtually no trial experience.

Despite the proliferation of prison movies since, well, ever, FELON manages to be a fresh and entertaining example of the genre. Stephen Dorff (remember him?) stars as an ordinary family guy who accidentally kills a burglar and finds himself in a high-security prison.

The usual prison clichés abound, with a lot of the focus on brutal fisticuffs as inmates battle it out for supremacy. It reminded me a little of Van Damme's IN HELL, although while that was a pure action film with superbly staged fights, FELON concentrates on the drama between the characters.

Overall, the film holds together well. Time is taken to get to know the characters, not just the prisoners but also those on the outside: the brutal guard who takes his problems home with him, the wife struggling to make it with a husband in prison. It's a film which avoids stereotyping heroes and villains and does well because of it.

One of the real strengths - and this is a surprise - is Val Kilmer in a supporting role as a seasoned lifer. Kilmer turns out to be excellent, bringing real gravitas to his role; to put it bluntly, I've never seen him this good before, and watching him inhabit his role is a real pleasure. Dorff, too, is actually pretty decent, making it easy for the viewer to sympathise with his character's plight.

FELON certainly isn't a classic film, and it's far from the best of the prison movie sub-genre, but it's one of those movies you catch on TV late at night which leaves a real impression. I really liked it.

It's really nice to stumble upon good movies when you don't expect it. Nowadays, we are becoming more and more guided by the marketing that goes behind the movies, to realize when we actually go see them that we are often left unsatisfied.

Felon is a movie about a man who is working hard to create a life for himself and his family, he has worked hard to establish his own business and feels as though he is finally ready to start reaping the fruits of his labour. Then, life brings a unexpected twist and he finds himself in prison. From this point on, we see transformations of a man who is forced into a new world where he has no control.

This movie is a great glimpse of the extreme conditions that the American correctional system can create. It also displays very well how people can get corrupted by power. All the actors in this movie shine and portray perfectly their characters. The story is very well told and by the end of the movie, you are left reflecting on how the correctional system has so many flaws and how it drives people to become their worst, both as inmates and as guards. However, the film also shows that even in these circumstances, there are great acts of humanity and compassion.

A very good movie, definitely worth the watch. 8/10.

Most prison movies are essentially the same story told with different characters. Usually the protagonist is convicted of a crime (which he did or did not do), is sent to prison and finds that they have to either adapt to their brutal new surroundings or die. Allies are won, enemies are made, death lurks around the corner. "Felon" is no different but three things raise it above most others.

First is the setting. Filmed at the New Mexico State Penitentiary, the movie carries an air of authenticity and gritty realism that movie sets simply can't provide.

Next is the casting. Stephen Dorff has always been a very underrated actor and here he provides a wonderful portrayal of a man let down by the legal system and cast adrift in a living nightmare. His descent from upstanding family man to an enraged prison inmate with fire in his eyes and blood on his knuckles is perhaps predictable but Dorff sells the portrayal to the audience completely. However, Harold Perrineau and Val Kilmer are the real stars here. The first (whom avid fans of the television shows "Lost" and "Oz" will already be familiar with) offers a great performance as Lieutenant Jackson, a happy family orientated man outside of prison but a monster within its walls. Kilmer, meanwhile, is John Smith, the philosophical but potentially dangerous convict who comes to befriend Dorff's Wade during their time together.

The third and final ingredient that ensures "Felon" impresses, is the passionate directing by Ric Roman Waugh who also wrote the screenplay (based, apparently, on events at the notorious Californian State Prison). With the help of some incredible editing, the movie powers along at a frantic rate and rarely gives the audience time to breathe. If the ending is somewhat contrived, you can forgive it because the journey to reach the conclusion was so intense.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of "The Shawshank Redemption", "The Big House", "An Innocent Man" and "Lock Up".