An absolute waste of money

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

This movie offered a promise of an unusual plot. That is where it stops. Even if you convince yourself that such a combination of characters and events could exist in real life, you will soon be disappointed with stiff acting, slow pace, unwanted scenes of symbolic dreams and too many flashbacks, jumping forward, more flash backs and more dreams. It all gets mixed up to the extent that you are not sure are we 'now', before, or before-before. All the stereotypes are there: a gay priest, butch female prison chief, an orphan with a history of sexual abuse, sadistic inmates, a hypocritical bishop, a dying brother, several shower scenes and a bloody ending. You get bombarded with improbabilities every step of the way: a boutique prison with less than 20 inmates, a love story between a prison guard and an inmate with regular sex in a prison cell, unexplained resurrection of a guy beaten to pulp whose skull was smashed against a solid ceramic sink, breaking it in two pieces, mysterious injection which knocks you out for two weeks and you wake up perfectly fit, a prison chief firing her staff on a request of an inmate janitor, and so on. I could not help myself thinking that most actors are gay friends of the movie directors/scriptwriters. If they were not effeminate, they were certainly too soft and unconvincing in their 'butch' roles. The main villain is simply boring. The only original moment in the movie was mercy killing by the priest. Hey, why use readily available lethal dose of morphine, and euthanize your dearest one quickly and painlessly, when we can drown them by force in a very unpleasant way and extend their agony? Finally, the ending -- famous ending of almost every gay-themed movie that I have ever seen... you guessed! It was not a happy one. However, there were plenty of scenes featuring dreamy green meadows, sunshine over idyllic towns and white clouds flying in the blue blue sky forever...

As a big fan of 'Shank', I have to say 'Release' was a disappointment.The plot was fragmented and not very interesting, a lot of things that are happening, you don't understand until later in the film.The depiction of prison life is also very unrealistic (for example, guards restraining an inmate to stop him from helping another inmate being beaten to death (or almost) by other inmates). I think the movie depicts more the public's nightmarish perception of prison, as opposed to prison life in reality.I also didn't like the main antagonist, played by Bernie Hodges. He's a decent actor, but I just could not buy him in this role. He was trying too hard to be smooth, laid back, while being manipulative and controlling. I just didn't believe it. The ending doesn't make sense to me either, but I can't give it away without spoiling.I will also mention positive aspects of this film: I liked Wayne Virgo's performance. I like this young actor, he leaves an impact. The lead character Daniel Brockelbank is decent enough too, as well as Garry Summers. It was also fun to see Simon Pearce appear in this movie (director and camera operator of 'Shank' and this movie). Some creepy nightmare scenes were also well done.

This film seemed to come out of nowhere for me, I'd heard next to nothing about it but boy am I glad I sat down to watch it! I recommend you do the same! The film centres around Father Jack, a priest imprisoned for a 'crime' that is not revealed to us until the last third of the movie, though we and the other prisoners suspect paedophilia. Whilst incarcerated, Jack finds himself falling for a prison guard (played by Garry Summers, who also appears in SHANK for those who are familiar with these writers' body of work) as well as under threat from a sinister prisoner named simply Max (Bernie Hodges.) Firstly the atmosphere created inside the prison is amazing - I don't know where it was filmed but it's tense, frightening, claustrophobic - and you constantly feel the threat of the other inmates just around the corner. The two leads in Daniel & Garry are excellent, creating a relationship you are absolutely able to believe and immerse yourself in, desperately rooting for them to be able to continue their relationship outside the prison.The script is well written and the skillfully woven narrative cleverly combines all manner of devices from dream sequences, to flash-backs and flash-forwards (forget LOST!) to keep you guessing right up until the end! Special mention must also go to Bernie Hodges who is fantastic in his portrayal as the eerie Max - I think a chill went down my spine whenever he appeared on screen! The film is romantic, scary, sad and heart-warming all at the same time and had me hooked throughout. It also carries a pretty strong message about the hypocrisies of religion and actually made me angry in places as well, particularly during a final confrontation with Father Gillie towards the end.I recommend you track this one down if you can and hope it gets a DVD release later in the year! I shall be looking out for more from this talented writer/director team, though it seems this film won't be getting shown at the London LGFF - what the hell BFI?!? Explain yourselves? Presumably it was submitted?!? A major oversight on their part in my opinion!

Just caught this film at the End of the Pier International Film Festival, Worthing.It is a highly original film with some very contemporary and 'hot topic' issues raised in it's dark and twisted narrative.Father Jack is in prison for a crime that becomes apparent only after his clandestine relationship with a prison officer takes hold and blossoms into a honest and trustworthy love affair. His fellow detainees, however, believe he's a paedophile. The prisoners driven on by a mad prisoner who clearly controls more than just harden criminals inside the prison walls, is determined to bring about 'prison' justice on the Priest.It is tense and atmospheric and full of surprises. There was a palpable collective desire from the audience to see Jack leave prison and start a new life with the prison officer.The prison is shot and directed masterfully with imaginative edits and dialogue that keeps you hooked. Religious hypocrisy is everywhere in the prison. The use of candles - right up until the end of the credits, is a device used with skill and a cleverness - as it links the turmoil of questioning ones faith with the iconography of the burning flame representing Christ's light in the Church that Jack once belonged to.The performances are superb, Daniel Brocklebank, Bernie Hodges, Garry Summers all bringing believable characters and the situation that they find themselves in to life.The film won Best UK Feature Drama - and deservedly so. It was a mixed audience and the debate about the film's content and it's meaning carried on out on the pavement outside the cinema afterwards.Great stuff from indie Brit film makers.