JohnDoe
Bryn
Brenton
Felon (2008) - Trailer Included
Caged Humanity Struggles To Survive.
Felon - Available on DVD
Writer/Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Starring: Stephen Dorff, Val Kilmer, Sam Shepard, Anne Archer, Marisol Nichols, Harold Perrineau, Chris Browning
Using the real life events of California State Prison, Corcoran to tell a completely fictionalized story, Felon is a solid prison drama. It may not break new ground but does realize its expectations, inspiring conversation and utilizing technique both in front and behind the camera with surprising results.
Welcome to rehabilitation.
Coming home to his girlfriend Laura Porter (Marisol Nichols) and son Michael (Vincent Miller) gives him obvious joy. Putting their child to bed and settling in for the night, suddenly the sound of a burglar wakes the couple.
Instinctively protecting his family, Wade grabs a baseball bat and goes to investigate. In the kitchen he is jumped by the unknown robber, a scuffle ensues and the intruder escapes into the front yard. In pursuit when his quarry looks to be drawing a gun he swings his weapon and connects with the back of the skull.
Killing the man, the police arrest Wade on the charge of Murder. Entering a plea of involuntary manslaughter he is sentenced to three years in state prison. Naïve to criminal life, things spiral quickly and tribal rules dictate that society’s laws be abandoned.
Stephen Dorff and Val Kilmer come at it from different angles.
John Doe says:
A gritty shiv to the throat realism is accomplished with enveloped performances, gloss free cinematography and authentic inmate violence. Digging into the isolated emotional damage of incarceration, corruption in the system and primal responses there is a repulsive poignancy to be found in the balancing of intimacy and brutality.
Using real inmates as extras, the gladiatorial fight scenes are largely unrehearsed accurately depicting the fist-slamming-torso street style brawls. Stephen Dorff actually sustained two concussions doing his own stunts.
Looking at Writer/Director Ric Roman Waugh’s filmography on imdb reveals he is a highly respected stuntman, a skill that seems to have served him well in shooting and cutting action. There is feeling of truth to his vision of the dog eat dog life in the slammer that isn’t afraid to confront the viewer. Setting a consistently raw tone, he uses the restrictions of a limited budget well.
While Waugh’s screenplay is patchy in places and despite the contrivances of the set up the dialogue rings true. Failing in its final act to avoid cliché and sentimentality, heavy handed at times these short comings are mellowed because of the strong cast.
Stephen Dorff slams it home.
As the multiple murderer turned guru, Val Kilmer (Spartan, The Salton Sea) plays John Smith with conviction. You can tell he researched life inside and manages to disappear into his characters nihilistic skin.
Marisol Nichols, (24, Cold Case) as the suffering on the outside wife is appropriately morose and tender. That the part is the only representation of what Wade has lost aside from his son means that she has to encompass all his emotional yearning.
There is an irony in Harold Perrineau going from wheel chair bound Augustus in Oz to Lt Jackson the unstable masochist prison guard. Looking gaunt there is a psychosis in his eyes that communicates the roles conflicts.
Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff, Paris, Texas) as a sympathetic warden delivers typical quality for his brief screen time as does Anne Archer (Short Cuts, Patriot Games) playing Laura’s beaten down, over protective mother.
Coping with a heat wave that’s sweeping across the East Coast and unable to sleep, Johnny actually threw this on at 1am as a switch your brain off sleeping pill. After all it was relegated straight to DVD so expectations were low. If it wasn’t for the Dorff/Kilmer/Shepard combo it would have never been seen. Felon didn’t take long to get JD’s attention and as it finished he realized it was better than it should have been. It’s not outstanding, but the film is competent if unremarkable and satisfied the Doe's yen for a caged drama.
Trailer for Felon
Stephen Dorff discusses Felon.
Film & TV on DVD
Don't expect to much and you should enjoy Felon for what it is.
Dorff's career has been speckled but in movies like City of Industry and Blood and Wine he earned his stripes for me...funnily I didn't like Blade much but thought he was its strongest element.
I am a massive Kilmer fan too, he really doesn't get the love he deserves and Spartan is a fine example of his skills. I only wish Kiss, Kiss, Bang,Bang had a Kilmer/Downey Jnr commentary.
Screen Adventure
Great review as always JD but honestly this film appeals to me about as much as a kick in the head.
Film & TV on DVD
There is a lot of head kicking to be found in the film
And yes. Dorff was the lead in The Power of One. he was also ripping in City of Industry and Blood and Wine.