Very interesting movie with an unusual timeline structure. It builds and holds suspense very well all the way to the end of the movie, but, man, this film is fundamentally pretty grim, which held my rating down a bit. I'm not going to give anything away, but, while this movie is pretty emotionally powerful, I really can't imagine anybody feeling very good after watching it. It takes place entirely in a prison or under the streets of London, which gives it an extremely cheerless, malevolent, and claustrophobic atmosphere, and there aren't any really good guys here--only relative degrees of bad, as is characteristic of so many films today it seems. So a very good, but depressing movie that leaves me feeling like I need to take a shower, so I guess I will.

Watch this if... a very good and suspenseful prison break film is your thing. Not action packed by any means, but provides plenty of suspense and is a solid film.Acting/Casting: 8* - Great casting from top to bottom in this one. Cox and company play their roles well and the acting is above average. In particular, Cox gives arguably his best performance to date.Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 7* - Well directed and I must say the final product is quite impressive. The film takes place predominately in prison and you can almost feel the despair with the dull and dark lighting throughout the film. The cinematography and other aspects of the movie are on par. Although nothing new, I am a big fan of the past/present flipping that takes place throughout the movie.Plot/Characters: 7* - This is a well thought out and constructed prison break film. Although Cox plays a criminal, it has you rooting for him to get out to aid and resolve issues with his daughter. The characters are a bit stereotypical and this prison is far from running a tight ship, but it is still entertaining.Entertainment Value: 7* - A solid film that offers suspense and is well worth a watch. If you are in the mood for a good prison break film that keeps you guessing, then this is right up your alley. I will likely watch again at some point in the future.My Score: 8+7+7+7 = 29/4 = 7.25Email your thoughts to [email protected]

not a bad film: good atmosphere, cast, acting & OST c/o Leonard Cohen.it bares a resemblance, and even a few lines, to Shawshank Redemption. but then a lot of prison films do now.however, the UK prison depiction was wholly inaccurate. British prisons have had in-cell lighting, kettles & tvs for over a decade. cons have never 'run' a whole prison, ever, anywhere. and the whole hazing/raping aspect - is a purely American phenomenon. and still you call us Brits fags!! also, there aren't any library cards as such, the common currency inside is drugs, tobacco & foodstuffs.also, kat is an African herb, with amphetamine like qualities - as opposed to something you could knock together in an ad-hoc laboratory with oranges & fruit cake.

This film uses the tired old trick of flashing back to try and keep us thrilled. It is used as a substitute for a decent plot. There is no depth to any of the characters other than the lead.I'm also confused as to why someone would cast pigeon-chested effeminate guy as top-dog in a prison. Or how we are supposed to believe someone is able to manufacture Class A drugs in prison from an orange an a fruit-cake. Yes, I know we are supposed to suspend our disbelief, but I think the director could have met us half way. Of course, they do put in the rape scene, which seems to be obligatory in every film set in prison now. Yawn.When you get to the final twist in the wafer thin plot, you realise you've just wasted another 102 mins of your life. Perhaps a few more if your daft enough to post about on a website.