Release (I) (2010) User Reviews

Gay tragedy porn

[showtrmp · 5/10 · 27 April 2012]

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.

a good sketch

[Kirpianuscus · 7 November 2020]

A very delicate subject, a fist of cliches, portrait of injust life, the religion and the faith and the justice in same basket, good looking actors in the lead roles, the effort to give decent image of prison life, reduced, in many senses, only at sketches. Short, good try but , against all efforts, only a sketch of moral/ sentimental story.

Amateurish and not even worth viewing as a rental

[chunwangnyc · 1/10 · 6 October 2010]

Terrible acting, uninviting characters (or more so stereotyped caricatures), awful camera work, contrived and completely unbelievable plot, tacky music, poor flow of scene transitions, the list just goes on... It makes a artsy fartsy high school film project seem more sophisticated in comparison. I was not sure if I was enduring an intended cheap, bad soap opera imitation exploiting on gay, religious, and prison themes just to attract certain groups of audience. This is basically artistic masturbation without any regard to giving the audience a involving story telling experience. My friend and I finally walked out after 30 minutes of this awful, awful movie, and we felt we should have been paid to endure this torturous bad film, instead of us paying to see it!

Painfully amateurish

[neil-upto11 · 2/10 · 14 March 2011]

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.

Painfully slow, amateurish and full of stereotypes

[marko_cro1 · 1/10 · 26 June 2013]

This movie offered a promise of an unusual plot. That is where it stops. Even if you convince yourself that such a combination of characters and events could exist in real life, you will soon be disappointed with stiff acting, slow pace, unwanted scenes of symbolic dreams and too many flashbacks, jumping forward, more flash backs and more dreams. It all gets mixed up to the extent that you are not sure are we 'now', before, or before-before. All the stereotypes are there: a gay priest, butch female prison chief, an orphan with a history of sexual abuse, sadistic inmates, a hypocritical bishop, a dying brother, several shower scenes and a bloody ending. You get bombarded with improbabilities every step of the way: a boutique prison with less than 20 inmates, a love story between a prison guard and an inmate with regular sex in a prison cell, unexplained resurrection of a guy beaten to pulp whose skull was smashed against a solid ceramic sink, breaking it in two pieces, mysterious injection which knocks you out for two weeks and you wake up perfectly fit, a prison chief firing her staff on a request of an inmate janitor, and so on. I could not help myself thinking that most actors are gay friends of the movie directors/scriptwriters. If they were not effeminate, they were certainly too soft and unconvincing in their 'butch' roles. The main villain is simply boring. The only original moment in the movie was mercy killing by the priest. Hey, why use readily available lethal dose of morphine, and euthanize your dearest one quickly and painlessly, when we can drown them by force in a very unpleasant way and extend their agony? Finally, the ending -- famous ending of almost every gay-themed movie that I have ever seen... you guessed! It was not a happy one. However, there were plenty of scenes featuring dreamy green meadows, sunshine over idyllic towns and white clouds flying in the blue blue sky forever...

Extremely Original

[calshank1980 · 10/10 · 2 May 2010]

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.

Well done, good solid acting interesting lighting, surprising plot

[jpcobb315 · 8/10 · 16 February 2011]

Although I found the plot a bit confusing and disorienting at first -- which was intentional I am sure -- with 1 or 2 minor exceptions the actors gave good solid performances. The lighting and camera work was interesting, sometimes non-conventional, but the over-all visual effect was well done. Although apparently a modest-budget film, the final production values seemed to be high quality. While any modest-budget film could be improved if a mega-budget had been available, this film does not seem to suffer from simple settings -- attention to detail is more important than lavish sets. It is an enjoyable drama, although the violence and subject matter may be inappropriate for younger audiences and highly sensitive people. Excellent performances by the leading actors: Daniel Brocklebank and Gary Summers!

I was surprised to see a review by someone who only watched the first third of the movie -- that is hardly giving any movie a fair chance.

chillingly good

[sebastianguppy · 10/10 · 11 August 2010]

Wow these guys know how to take a tired market that has become swollen with pretty poor product and looked the gay audience in the face and said - you don't have to watch all that mundane,clichéd crap - you can endure and watch decent and well made films with central gay characters. They did it with SHANK and blew audiences away and with RELEASE they have gone further.

This is a chilling prison drama that draws you into the claustrophobia of the nondescript prison from from one. Father Gillie, stripped of his priestly garb and is marched through the recognisable process of being showered and dressed in prison clothes. Housed in his cell with a younger troubled man it doesn't take long before rumours abound that the Priest is really a paedophile. Now an easy target thanks to the insinuations he becomes hunted. Security comes in the form of a prison guard who befriends him and with whom love and an affair develops. When safely behind locked doors their illicit relationship blossoms and only then do we learn of the true crime that has put our priest inside...

You will be drawn in, feel uncomfortable with the claustrophobia of the prison, the atmosphere is oppressively scary and you will become emotionally overcome at the true confession of his crime. BUT more importantly you will want more than anything for Father Gillie to get out and to be with his new lover, Officer Martin Crane.

It's deep, dark and very moving. Great performances from all the cast....all I can say is you'll never look at surgical blue gloves in the same way every again after seeing this film......

Tough Love

[treborlodge · 10/10 · 6 February 2011]

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.

A powerful and moving drama

[simon_cba4 · 9/10 · 7 May 2010]

This film seemed to come out of nowhere for me, I'd heard next to nothing about it but boy am I glad I sat down to watch it! I recommend you do the same! The film centres around Father Jack, a priest imprisoned for a 'crime' that is not revealed to us until the last third of the movie, though we and the other prisoners suspect paedophilia. Whilst incarcerated, Jack finds himself falling for a prison guard (played by Garry Summers, who also appears in SHANK for those who are familiar with these writers' body of work) as well as under threat from a sinister prisoner named simply Max (Bernie Hodges.) Firstly the atmosphere created inside the prison is amazing - I don't know where it was filmed but it's tense, frightening, claustrophobic - and you constantly feel the threat of the other inmates just around the corner. The two leads in Daniel & Garry are excellent, creating a relationship you are absolutely able to believe and immerse yourself in, desperately rooting for them to be able to continue their relationship outside the prison.

The script is well written and the skillfully woven narrative cleverly combines all manner of devices from dream sequences, to flash-backs and flash-forwards (forget LOST!) to keep you guessing right up until the end! Special mention must also go to Bernie Hodges who is fantastic in his portrayal as the eerie Max - I think a chill went down my spine whenever he appeared on screen! The film is romantic, scary, sad and heart-warming all at the same time and had me hooked throughout. It also carries a pretty strong message about the hypocrisies of religion and actually made me angry in places as well, particularly during a final confrontation with Father Gillie towards the end.

I recommend you track this one down if you can and hope it gets a DVD release later in the year! I shall be looking out for more from this talented writer/director team, though it seems this film won't be getting shown at the London LGFF - what the hell BFI?!? Explain yourselves? Presumably it was submitted?!? A major oversight on their part in my opinion!

Haunting and tough

[cmartin1569 · 9/10 · 26 January 2012]

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.

My review of "Release"

[dacha68 · 9/10 · 18 March 2012]

Possible spoiler alert.

I must say that I am not always moved by a movie. I watch, I move on. Not so with this movie. I became so interested, so wrapped up, so invested in the characters and story that when the ending came and it was not what I was hoping for I was literally moved to frustration. This movie did what a good movie does. It got you wrapped up in the story and the characters and led you on an emotional ride. I come from an island where homosexuality and the homosexual lifestyle is still a crime and punishable. Parts of this story resonated with me because I was told the exact same thing that the priest in the movie told the main character. This is a movie well worth seeing. All I can say is "Well done, well done"!

Melted lead

[Vincentiu · 25 October 2011]

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.

Catching Release

[NoDakTatum · 9/10 · 16 November 2023]

The writing duo behind "Shank" return with a prison drama that features a few well-worn characters and situations, but morphs into a powerful film. Jack (Daniel Brocklebank) is a defrocked British priest sent to prison. He tries to fit into life on the inside, becoming friends with his cellmate, young drug addict Rook (Wayne Virgo). Jack also finds a tentative romantic relationship with guard Martin (Garry Summers), who feels a higher calling to change the world inside prison just as Jack tried to change the world in his church. The chief guard (Alice Keates) also has eyes for Martin, and not very good control over her staff. The other guards look away as Rook is beaten on the orders of creepy murderer Max (Bernie Hodges). As Jack tries to survive behind bars, and keep his relationship with Martin a secret, we find out why Jack was jailed in the first place, and what all of those strange dreams he is having really mean.

At first, Darren Flaxstone and Christian Martin's script is disconcerting because it jumps back and forth in time. I couldn't get a grasp on Jack's character, and why he was in prison to begin with, despite some clues dropped here and there, until an emotionally devastating scene. This dramatic device is one of the reasons I really liked this film. While many viewers might feel manipulated by the film makers, I think the writers/directors were saying something about our assumptions. You read a synopsis about a priest in prison, and presume the film will be an anti-Christian "Oz"-like melodrama. Instead, an actual romantic love story is developed, but the underlying sense of dread never goes away. Brocklebank is excellent as Jack. His character shows change between his days before and after being incarcerated, and Brocklebank is a strong actor. Summers and Virgo, both of whom were in "Shank," shine here as well. Martin is not a wide-eyed naive type, but he is sincere and accepts Jack despite his past. Virgo has a challenging role as Rook, who is easily led astray by Max, but his performance is the kind that many critics assign the overused word "brave" to. Hodges' Max is the scary murderer you have seen in other prison-based films. While Hodges is menacing, your deja vu will be overwhelming. The same could be said for Chief Guard Heather. Keates is fine, but if we had some footage of Heather at home, you can picture a dirty flat with a lot of cats and no love. Again, we've seen Heather before. The direction is grand. The prison set is cold, dank, and you can almost smell the peeling paint and musty furnishings. I had a bit of trouble with Jack and Martin's initial interlude, and would have liked a little more in the way of their mutual attraction to one another. This is a prison flick, and I realize that almost all prisons have the same facilities. Therefore, I expected the shower scenes, the sad little library, the crumbling chapel, and the stern faced guards. This same familiarity was thankfully negated by the two main characters. I hope Flaxstone and Martin will do something in the supernatural realm soon. Some of their nightmarish imagery is creepier than any torture-porn slasher flick from the last few years. If you read the end credits, you see that cast and crew had many different jobs on the set, but this did not take away from the final product. The film is short, yet takes its time developing its plot, which had me fascinated with where I was going to be taken next. This is not an overly plotty story, however, and most of the characters' motivations rang true. "Release" is a great entry in many genres- prison, gay, British, romance, religious. Darren Flaxstone and Christian Martin don't shy away from violence, and introduce jaded viewers to a whole new world of cinema.

My 2cents on this movie.

[danc1978 · 27 June 2012]

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.