Chirphymium
It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Derrick Gibbons
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
forzaeva
So, our main "protagonist" is thrown inside a prison nobody would ever want to visit.This review contains spoilers...!It doesn't take long before the tougher prisoners - 'Mureren' in particular - target him, put him in place, force him to jump through their hoops and accept whatever crap they throw his way... Rune being alone and having no chance to defend himself, doesn't have much choice.Following a failed drug-smuggling deal, Rune is screwed because he now owes money he can't cough up. 'Mureren' has it in for him - he did stab a friend of 'Mureren' on the outside... So it's time Rune is put out of his misery.Were we really supposed to care about this guy? I found no reason to root for Rune... He's hardly any better than them, just weaker. Sure, the guy who wastes him is a typical thug - a scumbag member of a gang of scumbags who all belong in there, so I'd give some credit to the actors portraying these low-lifes. Since the movie could be a somewhat realistic portrayal of life in places like this, props go where they are due.But it's just bleak. And like Rune - of little redeeming qualities.
kosmasp
Prison movies are hard to make. Though the good ones seem effortlessly. And while you can file most of them as dramas (like this one), they almost feel like a sub-genre. Pacing is always key, which this movie proves can handle very well. It's not fancy, but what prison actually is, it's more down and dirty.The relationships explored make sense in this. And while we may not get all the answers from this movie, the characters are mysterious enough, but also engaging enough for us to care. And that's quite a feat for a movie about criminals and their just (?) punishment. Arguing if prison is the best solution for some or if it works as a whole is a completely different matter.
mikkellynge
Worst movie, i have seen in a long time.This film about Horsens Stateprison seems unimportant and the problems the film displays are shallow. The plot is boring and seen before. But worst of all the film leaves you with one question! and that is: have I just wasted 1 hour and 35 minuts of my life on nothing.It seems like the only thing a movie needs to get good reviews these days, is for the film to end badly, its almost like nobody likes happy endings these days, with that said these movie doesn't even leave you with a higher meaning, there is no need to analyse its just a plain boring movie about absolute nothing else but to tell how hard it is to be in prison. YAWN!!!
Duncan_C
aw this film at it's press screening this morning at Edinburgh International Film Festival. I'd heard it was meant to be the next 'Un Prophete'. Certainly if you haven't seen 'Un Prophete' you may well think this film is brilliant. Those that have seen 'Un Prophete' however may go away a little bit disappointed. There is just too much that is the same in both films. Both the films explore the tough inner workings of a prison from the point of view of a new comer. We are not told why this main character is in prison, only that he maybe stabbed somebody. He seems to be a good guy who is trapped working for a gang in prison. He's made to do tasks he doesn't want to do so he isn't treated like dirt, or killed. there is also another gang in the prison made up of Albanians etc…etc….etc….It's the same old prison story that's getting told over and over. It is however a solid story so it's what they do with it that matters.They succeed in creating a likable main character that we sympathise with and support. They show how gritty and corrupt a Danish prison is. They do the whole thing with sexy camera angle's and expert editing.I was enjoying the movie, until I began to feel it wasn't going anywhere, then near the end we switch character perspective and follow a different character for the last fifteen minutes. For me, the story ends with our main character, I'm not interested in seeing his friend story for another 15minutes, that just didn't work for me. I saw others shifting uncomfortably in the audience as well. When the second end does come though it does hit with impact. I found myself wanting to look away as it was fairly intense.The film is on some levels very good, the soundtrack is perfect, well there's no songs just an intense score. The acting is amazing, the set is great, editing brilliant, script, pretty flawless. It's the story that just didn't grab me like it should've. There was nothing I hadn't seen before. It was a classic prison movie, done better than most, but not as good as 'Un Prophete' and 'Shawshank'. I was blown away by some shots in the film which were just incredible.'Un Prophete' for me is the best prison movie, it has everything, it is long, but justifiably. R is shorter at 90 minutes, but it was the end that spoiled it for me. If R had come out before 'Un Prophete' I'd probably like it better, but R doesn't explore much that 'Un Prophete' doesn't. I just wasn't interested in the last 15/20minutes. It's a shame, a lot of work has obviously gone into the film. It is still worth seeing. However I'd recommend most people just stick with 'Un Prophete'.www.duncansreviews.wordpress.com www.duncancowles.com
