showtrmp This prison drama was recently described on the message boards as "tragedy porn", and I can't think of a more appropriate term. No one in "Release" suggests a human being; all of them are sociological constructs designed for yet another demonstration of the waste and meaninglessness of life, a la Clint Eastwood. This is the kind of movie in which as soon as you see the female warden (Dymphna Skehill, whose performance consists of chewing her tongue while keeping her lips clamped together) proudly hang a framed certification on the wall, you know it's going to be smashed. (Authority is a sham!) And, topping even that, an inmate can't just be stabbed--he has to be stabbed with a sharpened crucifix! (Religion is all hypocrisy!). And so on, and so on. The story concerns a priest, Father Gillie (Daniel Brockleback) who has been jailed for ambiguous reasons and is suspected by the other inmates of pedophilia, which sets off a near-psychotic reaction in his teenage roommate (Wayne Vigo), a victim of abuse and (possibly) rape. Gillie is persecuted by almost the entire prison, led by Max (Bernie Hodges), and his only solace comes in a love affair with one of the guards (Gerry Summers, who is very appealing but seems too sensitive to have passed the screening process). Surprisingly, this affair is the element that comes off most believably, mostly due to the personal charm and naturalness of Brockleback and Summers. But with this setup, there's really nowhere to go but down, and everyone works very hard to make all the ghastly events that follow seem "inevitable"and "tragic". Unfortunately, we're given far too much time to think about all the implausibilities--such as why everyone listens to Max in the first place? We're told he's the unofficial leader of the prison, but we never feel it, especially since Hodges is the kind of actor who tries to seem "sinister" by whispering all his lines. And we're just supposed to accept that Vigo is "unstable", which explains why he's so easily manipulated into precipitating the final crisis.Why is it that the movies that strive the most to be "gritty" and "realistic" come off as the most contrived? Wake up, filmmakers--"life is unfair" is not a daring or original message, and it won't come as a big surprise to the majority of moviegoers. When someone works this hard to pound us over the head with bitter truths, the glossiest old 1940s MGM musical seems a model of naturalism by comparison.

treborlodge This film represents another departure from the norm in gay themed films. It is a tough love film with striking images and sequences that allow the viewer to fill in the elliptically presented representation of prison life versus Catholic ideology and the controversy surrounding the red hot issue of euthanasia. I won't pretend that I found it an easy watch because it isn't - what it is however is a cleverly constructed narrative that twists time with flashbacks and fantasy sequences that underpin the main thrust of the story. I was left after seeing this film with a greater understanding and sense of the pain of love that exists between gay men especially when coupled with the contemporary issues explored. It has probably not sat well with gay audiences because it is a film that is more than the usual gay fare. It has a strength of determination to it's approach that borrows with ease from well known films that are much loved and critical exemplars. Given that the budget was so low it is amazing what has been pulled off in this film. Some of the cast clearly were relying on intuition when it came to their performances but the leads are seasoned professional and recognisable actors whose performances were not reduced by the amateurs supporting them - moreover it added an authenticity to the emotional journey. I wasn't sure what to expect but more importantly I wasn't disappointed. Very interesting film. It was great to see a lengthy complimentary "making of" on the DVD which revealed an earnest engagement from all involved but also a great sense of fun whilst making it..good for them.

chunwangnyc Terrible acting, uninviting characters (or more so stereotyped caricatures), awful camera work, contrived and completely unbelievable plot, tacky music, poor flow of scene transitions, the list just goes on... It makes a artsy fartsy high school film project seem more sophisticated in comparison. I was not sure if I was enduring an intended cheap, bad soap opera imitation exploiting on gay, religious, and prison themes just to attract certain groups of audience. This is basically artistic masturbation without any regard to giving the audience a involving story telling experience. My friend and I finally walked out after 30 minutes of this awful, awful movie, and we felt we should have been paid to endure this torturous bad film, instead of us paying to see it!

james richards 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.