swellframe17

David Mackenzie's "Starred Up" is a gritty prison drama that gives us a glimpse into what prison is really like and questions the prison system. The film has three powerhouse performances from Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, and Rupert Friend. All of them deliver great performances that gives us a chance to empathize with these hard hearted characters.

What's really good about this film is that it combines many elements of prison dramas that we've seen throughout the years. It has the teenage angst, the pure rage, fathers and sons, characters with harsh pasts, and the struggle to find redemption in prison. All these things are balanced so well thanks to Jonathan Asser's well-written script. Mackenzie never over extends his hand and gives us a realistic look at the U.K. prison system.

Michael McDonough's cinematography captures each brutal second. He shows all the rage and emotion that circle the prison and presents it as it is. "Starred Up" is as tough as its characters and it takes time for us to really learn about them. The film kept me engaged enough to follow these characters and gradually care for them.

Mendelsohn captures the struggle of a father who wants to finally be there for his son, but doesn't know how. O'Connell makes us feel the rage in his character and how easy it can be to explode on someone for just a few words. Friend's character forces us to ask the question of what is the right way to handle prisoners. What happens when the people who run the prison don't really want to help the prisoners? Do some of the prisoners deserve help? How do we go about rehabilitating people? Can they be rehabilitated?

Mackenzie examines these questions while also creating a unique and emotionally engaging film. "Starred Up" a really good prison drama and just a really good film. It can be hard to watch at times, but it's worth your time. It has great performances and thought provoking themes that will keep you thinking about it once you walk away from it.

Kelly Reichardt's "Night Moves" is a slow burning thriller that focuses more on the characters than on the action. Josh (Jesse Eisenberg), Dena (Dakota Fanning), and Harmon (Peter Sarsgard) are three environmentalists that decide to blow up a dam in Oregon. We follow these characters throughout the event and after. Josh is the anchor of the film and Eisenberg holds the screen very well. The film may be slow moving, but thanks to the actors we really get a feel for the characters. We don't learn a lot about them, but we get to understand their passions and fears that the dam brings on.

The film gives a mostly objective look of the events throughout the film. Reichardt forces us to answer the ethics of the situation. Who is right in this situation? Are the characters' action justifiable? We have to answer this. "Night Moves" is a haunting film for this reason. Although its objectiveness doesn't give us a chance to really connect with the characters, it gives us just enough to be engaged in the story and examine our own thoughts about the issues of our Industrial driven society and the price of the comforts we have.