Summary: In the opening moments of the movie, an everyday man who is realizing the American dream of growing his business, being a homeowner, and having a loving family has his life shattered when he accidentally kills a man when defending his home. The homicide victim was a burglar, but a manslaughter charge was applied and a 3 year sentence ensued. Despite the 3 years of actual time being less than half of that with good behavior, things in prison and life can change in a hurry. The struggle to survive in prison and its effects are the backbone of this movie. This movie is also a nice reminder that life changes in a flash, things can be going swell in one moment and in the next moment, you can be standing next to a prison gang leader being sentenced to additional time due to unfortunate circumstances in the worst place on Earth.
Review: Val Kilmer does put in one of his better performances here, and Stephen Dorff who plays the the main character does put in a riveting performance. The supporting cast is strong too as Marisol Nichols plays a torn wife perfectly and Harold Perrineau (Michael from Lost) plays a Jekyll and Hyde prison guard well. The prison politics and intricacies of effects of prison on human psychology on display make this film a very satisfying watch.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: There are so many questions that this film poses. The most important ones are probably about prison life in itself. Do guys really get that buff in prison despite the shitty food? How does prison psychologically effect the different members of prison life? Would I survive in it or even attempt to? How accurate is the portrayal of prison life or was it mostly hollywoodized? (It is suppose to be based on actual events of a CA prison and there are plenty of reports that support the themes in the movie.) Is the castle doctrine or lack of it in CA really that absurd and a man can have everything and lose it all in the next moment due to the circumstances of defending his family? There was also a nice feel of some important philsophy on revenge and life itself with Val Kilmer's character.
Power Rating (Out of 5) and Comments: I would rate this film a 4. The storyline was enrapturing, but the filming could have been done with a little bit more flair. It just felt too much like a made-for-tv or straight-to-dvd type of movie, but the suspense and thrilling "gladiator" scenes would nullify much of that. The most important take-away lesson from this movie is to not bitch about how you're running in life, because some people really do experience true bad luck and people who vehemently disagree should count themselves very very fortunate.
Favorite Quotes:
"When your life is defined by a single action...you change the concept of time." -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. Because a con like you knows neither exists in this place. So don't run from who you've become, felon. Embrace it. Grow from it. And you'll never lose sight of what truly matters. That's my final piece of advice, Wade Porter. You protect your family at all costs. Even if you're forced to kill again. Because if i had to, I'd wipe out the whole planet to get mine back. So long, friend." -John Smith
"What a piece of work is man. And there is no good or bad, but thinking makes it so. Human beings are perhaps never more dangerous than when they are convinced beyond a doubt that they are right. Patience. Penance." -John Smith
"It's just that anytime I hang on to any bit of hope it gets taken away from me." - Laura Porter
Besides another good reason to show the 34B breasts of the gorgeous at-the-time 34 year-old Marisol Nichols, the scene did add value to the movie's context; but it's just a good reason to post a video here.
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