Felon (2008)

Director:

Ric Roman Waugh

Writer:

Ric Roman Waugh (written by)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

No Rules. No Hope. No Way Out.

Plot:

A family man convicted of killing an intruder must cope with life afterward in the violent penal system.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Nightmare | Tear Gas | Divorce | Dui

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Stephen Dorff	...	Wade Porter
Marisol Nichols	...	Laura Porter
Vincent Miller	...	Michael Porter
Anne Archer	...	Maggie
Larnell Stovall	...	Viper
Val Kilmer	...	John Smith
Sam Shepard	...	Gordon
Johnny Lewis	...	Snowman
Harold Perrineau	...	Lt. Jackson
Shawn Prince	...	Todd Jackson
Chris Browning	...	Danny Samson
Nick Chinlund	...	Sgt. Roberts
Greg Serano	...	Officer Diaz
Jake Walker	...	Warden Harris
Nate Parker	...	Officer Collins

MPAA:

Rated R for brutal violence, pervasive language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Germany:16 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:16 | South Africa:16LV | UK:15 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Stage 6 Films

Trivia:

Based on actual atrocities at Corcoran State Prison.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: You can see the white tape covering the Tropicana logo on the No Pulp Orange Juice container when they are having breakfast.

Quotes:

John Smith: When your life is defined by a single action, it changes the concept of time.

A very accomplished movie

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.