Inside

I did not expect too much when I saw the trailer to this film, but the fact that I have experience with the prisons system in Victoria, I was keen to see it for curiosity sake. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this film actually was. Very good in Fact. The Writer director has found much authenticity in this story that at first I wondered if he had once been in custody. Turns out he had family members who had, and his research over several years was spot on. This is not one of those melodramatic Hollywood crp prisons dramas with cliched stereotypes. This is gritty, real, and it took me back to my days when I was dealing with the Shepards and Murfett of this world. My only criticism I can offer, is that anyone convicted of an offence against a Child or female would already be in protection. Yet Mark Shepard was in mainstream. This would never happen. Kudos to the filmmakers for making an excellent Australian film and unearthing some new future stars in Vincent Miller and young Raif Weaver. (who is a Brad Renfro clone by the way). All in all a very good, well made film.

This was beautiful storytelling of a rotten situation... Broken people..so epically well cast. Nuance, use of silence and awkward situations. I was tense. I cried on my way home from the cinema. I'll probably watch again. There's not much recommending prison for young offenders. You see the effects of trauma and brutality.. the righteous, "you've made bad choices"... There was no choices for these discarded people. ... Brilliant movie.

Guy Pearce acting was good as a confident but not cocky repeat offender. You never know if he's genuine or a good manipulator. The actor playing the young man protagonist is awesome with his 'innocent' fear all over his face.

I say Guy Pearce my favourite actor since i saw him in my pretty much favourite film The Proposition (2005) nearly 20 years ago but everyone is good in this Aussie prison flick. Maybe because i'm Australian but most of our films doesn't seen like acting more like real life. Newcomer Vincent Miller is outstanding for someone so young playing a kid of 18 sent from juvenile to adults prison at 18. Pearce as a old lag kind of becomes a Father figure after he is rejected by his real son while on parole. And Cosmo Jarvis plays a twisted character while doing a good Aussie accent for a non local. Highly recommended if you want more than entertainment. Oh for Fantales days again.

In cold, hard Aussie prison drama "Inside" teenage Vincent Miller ages out of juvie into adult prison, celling respectively with oddball Cosmo Jarvis (doing life for a notorious heinous crime) & grizzled Guy Pearce (nearing parole but with debts to be paid). On his debut, writer / director Charles Williams plays out a gritty tale of trauma, anger, guilt, resignation, & redemption that avoids sensationalism to come across authentic - helped by terrific performances from Miller (also on his movie debut), the top drawer duo of Jarvis & Pearce, and support from the likes of Toby Wallace. It's a tough, bleak watch... but a worthy one, particularly for fans of the prison drama genre.

The trailer made this seem a pretty compelling viewing, but it is rather dull and though the plot is not quite predictable, it doesn't wander too far from where you expect it might go. The performances of the three leads are first rate and the supporting cast is strong. I suspect it's a reasonable snapshot of contemporary prison life and the difficulties of both the inmates and the impact of institutionalisation. The unspoken narrative on the frailties of the human condition are well captured too. Perhaps I'm being a little harsh as a critic... I think I went into it expecting too much and found myself let down.