Noel Clarke - up to no good.
Sam Norwood (James D’Arcy) is an ex-army squaddie who’s finding the job market rather limited, so ends up reluctantly taking a job as a prison officer at the fictional HMP Romwell. It seems prison life isn’t much fun, which ever side of the bars your on, as Sam discovers a network of corruption between the prisoners and guards, coupled with a Gov that has no interest other than making himself look good, makes for a pretty miserable life for everyone, but especially a prison guard trying to keep his nose clean.
The story is based on the memoir of ex-prison officer Ronnie Thompson, and I’m hoping that’s fairly loosely based, or there is something very wrong with our prison system. Noel Clarke (Kidulthood, Adulthood, Doctor Who) turns in a suitably menacing performance as top lag Truman, whilst James D’Arcy portrayal of Sam as the wheels fly off his life one by one is perfectly fine.
Overall it’s a perfectly fine little Brit movie, which twists and turns as Sam tries to figure out who in his life he can trust. Things do get a bit bogged down in the middle, but it’s well worth picking up for a Saturday night’s movie watching.
7/10 – Good, gritty little Brit flick.
Watch & rent movies online with LOVEFILM
