Release (2010)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

As a big fan of 'Shank', I have to say 'Release' was a disappointment.The plot was fragmented and not very interesting, a lot of things that are happening, you don't understand until later in the film.The depiction of prison life is also very unrealistic (for example, guards restraining an inmate to stop him from helping another inmate being beaten to death (or almost) by other inmates). I think the movie depicts more the public's nightmarish perception of prison, as opposed to prison life in reality.I also didn't like the main antagonist, played by Bernie Hodges. He's a decent actor, but I just could not buy him in this role. He was trying too hard to be smooth, laid back, while being manipulative and controlling. I just didn't believe it. The ending doesn't make sense to me either, but I can't give it away without spoiling.I will also mention positive aspects of this film: I liked Wayne Virgo's performance. I like this young actor, he leaves an impact. The lead character Daniel Brockelbank is decent enough too, as well as Garry Summers. It was also fun to see Simon Pearce appear in this movie (director and camera operator of 'Shank' and this movie). Some creepy nightmare scenes were also well done.

This prison drama was recently described on the message boards as "tragedy porn", and I can't think of a more appropriate term. No one in "Release" suggests a human being; all of them are sociological constructs designed for yet another demonstration of the waste and meaninglessness of life, a la Clint Eastwood. This is the kind of movie in which as soon as you see the female warden (Dymphna Skehill, whose performance consists of chewing her tongue while keeping her lips clamped together) proudly hang a framed certification on the wall, you know it's going to be smashed. (Authority is a sham!) And, topping even that, an inmate can't just be stabbed--he has to be stabbed with a sharpened crucifix! (Religion is all hypocrisy!). And so on, and so on. The story concerns a priest, Father Gillie (Daniel Brockleback) who has been jailed for ambiguous reasons and is suspected by the other inmates of pedophilia, which sets off a near-psychotic reaction in his teenage roommate (Wayne Vigo), a victim of abuse and (possibly) rape. Gillie is persecuted by almost the entire prison, led by Max (Bernie Hodges), and his only solace comes in a love affair with one of the guards (Gerry Summers, who is very appealing but seems too sensitive to have passed the screening process). Surprisingly, this affair is the element that comes off most believably, mostly due to the personal charm and naturalness of Brockleback and Summers. But with this setup, there's really nowhere to go but down, and everyone works very hard to make all the ghastly events that follow seem "inevitable"and "tragic". Unfortunately, we're given far too much time to think about all the implausibilities--such as why everyone listens to Max in the first place? We're told he's the unofficial leader of the prison, but we never feel it, especially since Hodges is the kind of actor who tries to seem "sinister" by whispering all his lines. And we're just supposed to accept that Vigo is "unstable", which explains why he's so easily manipulated into precipitating the final crisis.Why is it that the movies that strive the most to be "gritty" and "realistic" come off as the most contrived? Wake up, filmmakers--"life is unfair" is not a daring or original message, and it won't come as a big surprise to the majority of moviegoers. When someone works this hard to pound us over the head with bitter truths, the glossiest old 1940s MGM musical seems a model of naturalism by comparison.

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.

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.