Stranger Inside

A warts-and-all depiction of life on the inside for women in the United States, so don't expect to see any tellies in cells or parties for inmates here. These girls are tougher than the skin of a burnt jacket potato, with violence and drug taking seen as an everyday occurrence. It's a place where the weak don't last for a day, and the wardens are almost as corrupt as the jailbirds. Into this hellhole arrives Treasure Lee, who has intentionally got herself sent down so she can meet her mum, who is a long term resident of this particular facility. As usual in the world of film though, things aren't as clear-cut as they appear...

Credit to the director, this feels like a real-life, breathing prison, from the raucous games of basketball in the exercise yard, to the torture of being stuck in solitary confinement. I would LOVE our jails here in ol' soft touch UK to resemble this, but alas the yuman rights people would have a coronary. The 'ladies' may be both brutish and distinctly unfeminine, but they have their own unique personalities and this makes them fascinating to observe. Treasure's growing relationship with her mother is also movingly handled, and there are surprises ahead too... But I will say no more. To sum up then: A more than passable TV movie which should serve as a suitable deterrent for any potential American laddettes out there... 6/10

Well, sometimes life itself doesn't make perfect sense. This movie was so awesome. Heart touching. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The love scenes were like, so in tune.

They weren't explicit, they used just enough for the imagination. But the ending, my heart almost skipped a beat. I guessed a lot of what was going to happen but never in a million years, did I expect all of that. You are in for a real treat. I felt the pain. Boy did I. That's all I am going to say for I will probably let it blurt out the ending if I don't stop now. Please watch. I watched with my mother. Mother and Daughter. And it was very heart touching.

What would probably be referred to as a "gritty slice of life drama" on the movie box (I saw it on TV) is interesting insofar as it presents another perspective -- it's the female equivalent of the "Oz" TV show (produced by HBO films), without the smarmy sexuality (the women are appropriately mannish, but the film doesn't feel the need to make their sex aggressive and off-putting). There are a few brief moments of tenderness between the women, but it's mostly the same thing you get with the majority of prison life movies -- fights, friendships, back-stabbings, immoral guards -- just with female machismo. It sets up the inner life of the prison, these people who inhabit it, but it doesn't show us human beings in prison (despite the old-timers' advice in group therapy sessions), it shows us prisoners. I liked the ending, so it gets an extra point for that, simply as a story; but if you're looking for "cinema," look elsewhere. 7/10

This movie caught my attention one late night on HBO and I could not stop watching it. The movie felt so real. The acting by Yolonda Ross and Davenia McFadden dominates the movie and gives it life. The supporting cast, lead by Rain Phoenix, each fill out their role. The various characters are memorable, even though much of the story is standard prison-life material, this movie is able to rise above lesser fare by presenting the personal side of prison life. The struggles of the main characters keeps the viewer engrossed. With a twist at the end, the movie is enjoyable from beginning to end. I give it an overall 7 out of of 10.

This film takes you on a roller coaster ride through a treacherous and dismal glimpse in the life of a street-hardened incarcerated woman named Treasure, a gang-banging "G" girl,searching for her imprisoned mother who abandoned her in her youth. Often times, prison movies rely heavily on violent content to carry the movie over the top. This movie is intriguing because it delves into the relationships and encounters Treasure has in her quest to find her mother, showing not only her vulnerability and humanness, but also her ruthlessness and desperation...a great character study. This film could have been outstanding had more attention been paid to other main characters in depth as was Treasure's character. The film's ending was quite surprising and not what you would expect from your average prison movie.I would recommend this film for your collection.