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IMDb > Felon (2008)
Felon
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Photos (see all 7 | slideshow) Videos
Felon (2008) -- US Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   19,352 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Ric Roman Waugh
Writer:
Ric Roman Waugh (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Felon on IMDbPro.
Genre:
Crime | Drama more
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. full summary | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
(13 articles)
Ric Roman Waugh Set for Bobby Martinez
 (From MovieWeb. 28 May 2009, 7:09 PM, PDT)

Prison Film Unknowingly Cast Real-Life Murderer
 (From Get The Big Picture. 16 March 2009, 2:40 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Excellent more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

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 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Filming Locations:
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Company:
Stage 6 Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Val Kilmer spent several hours a day in the makeup chair for placement of numerous fake tattoos on his chest, arms and back. more
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. more
Quotes:
John Smith: Usually I'm quoting someone else's words. The least I can do is give you some John Smith originals. They won't be poetic. But they'll be the truth. Yes, prison desensitizes you. But it also forces you to see what's most important. Family. And loyalty... more

FAQ

Is this a pornographic film?
more
101 out of 119 people found the following comment useful:-
Excellent, 19 July 2008
8/10
Author: Mr Saxon from United Kingdom

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".

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Felon (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I Am So Thankful for Texas and the Castle Law Rashan333
would you have done what John Smith had done? mojohojo-1
7.9/10 !!!!!! bobhund_80
Charles Manson cameo? jvrieze
WTF? Bail set at a million?!?!!!? eYeDEF
What an unrealistic film pasymes
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