Animal Factory

As a fan of Steve Buscemi's underrated 'Trees Lounge', his acting, and of many of his co-stars in this movie, I eagerly anticipated watching 'Animal Factory'. I thought it was going to be a confronting and violent prison story, mainly because of the involvement of Edward Bunker ('Runaway Train', 'Reservoir Dogs'), who adapts his own novel (with the help of scriptwriter John Steppling, who also co-wrote the excellent '52 Pick-Up'). However, the movie was a lot more low key, character driven and less confrontational than I had expected. Even so, it's still very good.

Buscemi himself only has a small acting role in the movie (as does Bunker), the real stars being Willem Dafoe ('Light Sleeper', ) as a savvy long term convict, and Edward Furlong ('Pecker') as the young inmate who becomes his protege. Dafoe and Furlong are supported by an impressive cast of character actors, including Buscemi cronies Seymour Cassel ('Rushmore'), Mark Boone, Jr ('Memento') and the late Rockets Redglare ('Down By Law'), all 'Trees Lounge' veterans, ex-con tough guy Danny Trejo ('Heat'), John Heard ('After Hours'), and impressive cameos from Tom Arnold ('True Lies') as a psycho rapist, and Mickey Rourke ('Barfly') as a flamboyant transvestite. Rourke, one of the finest actors of his generation, will hopefully get his career back on track if the solid work he displays here and his notable cameo in 'The Pledge' is anything to go by.

'Animal Factory' is a first rate effort from Buscemi, who joins Sean Penn and Vincent Gallo as the most promising actors turned directors currently making American movies. More power to him, and I hope his next project makes it to the screen sometime soon. In today's current climate of cinematic mediocrity and childish blockbusters we need more film makers like them with passion, intelligence and integrity.

Over the years there have been made many prison movies,but I dont think many of them really reflect how terrible a prison is.I think this movie shows it in a more realistic way than many other movies.The movie tells us that you got to have connections within the prison to survive and that friends are everything.This movie is the portrait of a young boy who ends up in a prison,and luckily he gets introduced with one of the leaders among the white inmates and therefor has a chance. In the roles you'll find Willem Dafoe (which does a wonderful job in this movie) and Edward Furlong who also is very good.As some other inmates you'll find Danny Trejo who always looks really tough and scary and Mickey Rourke in totally new role that I never thought would work for him.See the movie and find out what I am talking about.

Whew. What can I say. This was a fascinating film that was very hard to turn away from (even to answer the phone!). Edward Furlong turns in another very solid performance as a too-young-to-be-in-this-type-of-place prisoner and Willem Dafoe was very interesting as his would-be mentor.

Prison films are always tough to make as they tend to lean heavily upon stereotypes (the prisoner who runs the prison, male rape scenes, the violence in the prison yard) and this film is no exception. Buscemi gets away with it by making it all seem so workaday and routine, which in some ways is even more frightening.

Overall I enjoyed this film but I imagine the audience for a stark prison flick is pretty small. Kudos to Buscemi for having the nerve to make it, tho.

Pay no attention to these other reviews; the people who wrote them don't know what they're talking about: In 1996 I was convicted of armed robbery and sent to prison in Washington state for eight years (of which I did seven)and I'm here to tell you that ANIMAL FACTORY is the real deal; I was a lot like the character played by Edward Furlong and I was lucky enough to meet men like the character played by Wilem Dafoe, guys who didn't want to rape me, guys who didn't want to kill me, guys who acted decently amidst all of the indecency.

Since my release from prison in 2003 I am invariably asked the two big questions when it comes to incarceration in this country: A) did I get raped? and B) is prison really like you see on OZ?

Well, luckily, I didn't get raped and I've never seen OZ but anyone who wants to see what prison is like should get a gander at ANIMAL FACTORY. The entire film drips with authenticity. Within 2 minutes I felt that old queasy feeling in my stomach--exactly as if I were back there myself, all over again.

For those of you out there who might think there is still a bit of rebellious glamour left in going to prison, watch ANIMAL FACTORY and take it from me: being locked up is not cool and its not fun and it is not something that anyone should aspire to.

I liked Animal Factory, not really because it pays homage to Shawshank Redemption, but simply because of how dark and gritty the film is in portraying prison life. Violent, unnerving, shocking at times but still it holds a message that we house these people in prisons with poor quality with the real animals. Young offenders put in with experienced and hardened prisoners who manipulate them.

My only issue was the duration of the film, I kinda get critical of short films especially ones I really enjoy and don't want to finish too quickly. I can't criticise the performances, as its one the strongest suits of the film with both Dafoe and Furlong. However to me it was Wiilem Dafoe who stole the screen for me, as to me he is an amazing actor. In the film, he portrayed a real down to earth man who had years of experience.

All in all Animal Factory is an unknown film, but it more than made up for it in many ways. Had it not gone straight to DVD, and actually had some advertising and screened in cinemas it could have made a tidy profit. If you like your prison dramas, gritty and dark Animal Factory is your kind of thing.