A very good movie

Since I kept hearing some really good things about this flick, I was really eager to check it out. Well, I wasn't disappointed, that's for sure. Sure, it was maybe not really groundbreaking but it was still one of the best movies I have seen in this genre for quite some time. I was wondering how Jack O'Connell managed to get his break in Hollywood but, after watching this movie, I understand why. Indeed, he gave here a really powerful performance channeling some kind of younger version of Bronson. Concerning Ben Mendelsohn, sure, like everyone else, I think he is a fine actor and he was pretty good here but the guy keeps playing such similar characters and I would like to see him doing something completely different for once. Anyway, the interesting thing about this movie was that it displayed how completely flawed the prison system actually is. Indeed, by putting all these violent men together to only make sure that they can't harm anyone outside, they only make sure that they will probably kill each other and, if they ever get out, they will probably be ten times worse than before they went to jail. To be honest, I have to admit that I did struggle with the 3rd act. Indeed, pretty much out of nowhere, the movie made a complete U-turn regarding the relationship between the Nevilles and it focused on their new found affection until the very end. Until then, the whole thing was pretty random but it made sense considering the wild behavior of the main character. I guess the makers wanted to reach some kind of closure at the end but I'm not sure if it was such a good idea. Anyway, to conclude, it was still a really strong prison drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the  genre.

8/10