Release

Cruel discussion. About faith, love and shadows of gestures. About sacrifice and its root. About silence as cage. It is a beautiful gray movie. Delicate as burnt paper. Bit as dust of cinnamon. Strange as a walk behind present. Story of a priest and his fake errors. A murder and life in prison. A love story. Silhouette of devil. And the punishment . A movie like melted lead. Few crumbs of Dostoievski, some drops from old British film, air from cold spaces of memory, game of a world. It is only a challenge. So, it is difficult to say if it is a good film, boring or mediocre. It is a picture. Bitter, salty, sour, with taste of gall.Nothing is alright. Every character - a broken doll. It is not a drama. Only a search. And a way without destination.

Just caught this film at the End of the Pier International Film Festival, Worthing.

It is a highly original film with some very contemporary and 'hot topic' issues raised in it's dark and twisted narrative.

Father Jack is in prison for a crime that becomes apparent only after his clandestine relationship with a prison officer takes hold and blossoms into a honest and trustworthy love affair. His fellow detainees, however, believe he's a paedophile. The prisoners driven on by a mad prisoner who clearly controls more than just harden criminals inside the prison walls, is determined to bring about 'prison' justice on the Priest.

It is tense and atmospheric and full of surprises. There was a palpable collective desire from the audience to see Jack leave prison and start a new life with the prison officer.

The prison is shot and directed masterfully with imaginative edits and dialogue that keeps you hooked. Religious hypocrisy is everywhere in the prison. The use of candles - right up until the end of the credits, is a device used with skill and a cleverness - as it links the turmoil of questioning ones faith with the iconography of the burning flame representing Christ's light in the Church that Jack once belonged to.

The performances are superb, Daniel Brocklebank, Bernie Hodges, Garry Summers all bringing believable characters and the situation that they find themselves in to life.

The film won Best UK Feature Drama - and deservedly so. It was a mixed audience and the debate about the film's content and it's meaning carried on out on the pavement outside the cinema afterwards.

Great stuff from indie Brit film makers.

I have to see SHANK after seeing this film. Found it in my local gay bookshop and had an afternoon to spare lying on the sofa. All I can say is thank goodness I watched it during the day with the curtains open.

I despair of the comments that have been viciously and unnecessarily negatively posted on this film. It belies it's low budget to fill the screen with an engaging story told with devices reminiscent of older films and pioneered by the greats like Hitchcock and Polanski.

The story and setting combined with clever flashbacks and time shifts as well as a horrible nightmare sequence enable you as a viewer to see through some of the less natural performances and remain glued to the what unfolds.

On the making of on the DVD they revealed what the location was used for when not being filmed in and I was amazed at this revelation - it was very cleverly used.

The central cast lead by Daniel Brocklebank and supported by Garry Sumers and Bernie Hodge all gave strong performances and depth to their characters.

I liked this film a lot - this isn't the best review ever written I realise but if you like clever storytelling and well made films this is one to try.

This film represents another departure from the norm in gay themed films. It is a tough love film with striking images and sequences that allow the viewer to fill in the elliptically presented representation of prison life versus Catholic ideology and the controversy surrounding the red hot issue of euthanasia.

I won't pretend that I found it an easy watch because it isn't - what it is however is a cleverly constructed narrative that twists time with flashbacks and fantasy sequences that underpin the main thrust of the story.

I was left after seeing this film with a greater understanding and sense of the pain of love that exists between gay men especially when coupled with the contemporary issues explored.

It has probably not sat well with gay audiences because it is a film that is more than the usual gay fare. It has a strength of determination to it's approach that borrows with ease from well known films that are much loved and critical exemplars.

Given that the budget was so low it is amazing what has been pulled off in this film. Some of the cast clearly were relying on intuition when it came to their performances but the leads are seasoned professional and recognisable actors whose performances were not reduced by the amateurs supporting them - moreover it added an authenticity to the emotional journey.

I wasn't sure what to expect but more importantly I wasn't disappointed. Very interesting film. It was great to see a lengthy complimentary "making of" on the DVD which revealed an earnest engagement from all involved but also a great sense of fun whilst making it..good for them.

The makers clearly had a good go at presenting some big issues but it's not enough. It's not so much a story as a bunch of socio-political observations strung together by a school play.

And while it shows dedication that the cast must have worked for a share of the profits (ie. nothing) the acting is *so* poor that it detracts horribly from the film's various statements. The statements themselves are worthy but presented in a simplistic way that lacks punch - (Metaphorical) prisons are dark and bad; (Metaphorical) freedom is light and good. Good-looking gays on one side; ugly mutants on the other.

I don't want to pile up the complaints because I think the motivation for the film is sound but you've got to do better if you're going to ask for people's time and money.