Rise

I went into this movie pretty much as I do with all the movies I view, and that is knowing nothing about them, I do this so as not to have any preconceived ideas of what to expect, I find this the best method for viewing as I am not at all influenced by other peoples opinions.

Initially I didn't think I would last the entire movie, the actors were not of a high caliber, with the exception of Martin Sacks, and to be honest I didn't recognize him at first, but I immediately wanted to watch the entire movie once his presence was made, it took me a little while before I realized who he was, it was he, or rather his character that I was interested in and not that of the movies focus, he truly is a great actor that has somehow managed to go unnoticed by the big wigs.

Anyway on with the movie, as mentioned, all the actors with the exception of Sacks are well and truly out of their league in a feature film and in my opinion would be more suited to soaps.

The direction seems hurried and definitely does not make a convincing case when it come to character building, there are affinities built on seemingly very little to nothing, rushing this vital part of any movie is wrong, but even this cannot detract you from the character Jimmy Cove (Sacks).

The poor acting is not restricted to the main character (Nathan Wilson) but pretty much every single actor in this movie. To make matters worse the court scenes are just dreadful, not a lick like real life, very hashed and uninvolved, and that pretty much sums it up for this movie, hashed and uninvolved, but I must mention that I did watch the movie until the end credits, I wanted to see if Jimmy and Will got to meet up outside of the prison walls...I wont mention if they did or not, but regardless of how the movie was put together, there is a feeling of friendship and sincerity between these two characters.

In summary, I felt this could have been a great movie, had it had a decent director and decent actors I feel it could have made a far more compelling movie.

Martin Sacks carried this movie and if not for him, it would in no way be worth viewing.

Great work Martin.

5/10 and four of those stars go to Martin.

This movie had me interested the whole way through. Loved the lead, Nathan Wilson, and the main supporting actor, Martin Sacks. Nathan playing the role of an innocent, but convicted rapist serving his time and Martin a hard core life-long criminal, form an incredibly close relationship.

If you don't want any mention of God in your movies, skip this one. It's not the underlying theme of the movie, but it does play a role in the personalities of some of the characters.

All the girls will love Nathan. But it's Martin I'd like to see more of in the future. Great character actor, I could see him in a variety of roles.

Rise keeps a steady pace throughout. Based on a true story, this drama is definitely worth a look.

My partner and I have watched 'Rise' close to a dozen times since it's Australian cinema release. One of those earthy Australian timeless classics that you can watch over and over again. A film that pulls on the heart strings of even a hardened man like myself each time I watch it. The film is grounded, real and was written and directed by Mack Lindon, who the film is based on. So it's void of over dramatisation that we see in too many films today. That's what makes 'Rise' so comfortable to watch, even though the basis of the story is so far from it. This debut film from first time director Mack Lindon also looks into the human side of finding hope as strongly as the process and challenges of finding justice. Watching characters Will (Nathan Wilson), Jimmy (Martin Sacks) and Fung (Marty Rhone) was an absolute pleasure. The interactions were powerful and a stand out. Also some genuine performances by some relatively new faces to the screen reiterate that realism to the film and a credit to the casting. As a package, 'Rise' is one film everyone should see. A story of hope that we can all relate too. It may even inspire you to do something that brings hope to others.

Not bad for a film certainly could use more drama and characters for a better script

The best Aussie film I have seen in a long time and one of my favorite movies.its been a long time since I have seen an Australian movie this good.I have seen it countless times.A super talented Aussie cast who portrayed their characters perfectly,a brilliant crew behind the scenes and a soundtrack that showcased some terrific Australian musical talent.I laughed,I cried,I absolutely love this movie.It's a definite must see movie.It definitely pulls at the heartstrings.A very moving true story.Fantastic work Mack and everyone else involved.To those who haven't seen it yet,do yourself a favor and watch it,you won't be sorry.