Animal Factory (2000)

This isn't just a violent prison story, though it certainly has that, it really is a story about an innocent's slide into despair. There are moments where humanity shines through. Furlong's acting is powerful and naive and Dafoe's subtle, menacing and compassionate. It is very disturbing at times and unpredictable in its twists and turns. Fortunately a lot of the gang violence is often hinted at and not shown. there are even moments of humour, though rare. It's not too distant from Shawshank in its ambiance, not story, and I found it just as compelling. There are several minor roles, especially the drag queen, that are wonderfully played, poignant and unsettling and Mickey Rourke is top notch. The setting is dirty and ugly, but it is a prison of course. A film with subtle and natural dialogue, and a film with a nice pace and flow.

Naive young first-time felon Ron Decker (a fine and credible performance by Edward Furlong) gets sent to a rough penitentiary to serve a two year sentence. While incarcerated Ron meets and gets taken under the protective wing of cagey top con Earl Copen (superbly played with conviction and subtlety by Willem Dafoe). Director Steve Buscemi, working from a gripping and hard-hitting script by John Steppling and Edward Bunker (the latter not only adapts his novel, but also appears in a small part as venerable felon Buzzard), astutely nails the drab workaday reality of life in prison: strained racial relationships, sudden outbursts of brutal violence (said violence is handled with admirable taste and restraint), the horrific possibility of anal rape, the widespread availability of hard drugs, the struggle to retain one's humanity in a place where savagery reigns supreme, and the general tedium one experiences while sweating it out behind bars. Moreover, Buscemi warrants additional praise for emphasizing stark realism over cheap sentiment and lurid sensationalism -- the father/son bond that develops between Earl and Ron is genuinely touching without ever becoming too corny or sappy -- and utilizing a convincingly straightforward no-frills style throughout. Kudos are also in order for the sterling acting from a uniformly bang-up cast: Dafoe and Furlong both do ace work in their roles, with commendable support from Danny Trejo, Mark Boone Junior, and Chris Bauer as members of Earl's gang; Mickey Rourke, who's very funny as Ron's flamboyant transvestite cell mate Jan the Actress, Seymour Cassel as amiable chief guard Lt. Seeman, and, in a truly surprising turn, Tom Arnold as foul, vicious, and predatory chickenhawk Buck Rowan. John Lurie's spare bluesy score and Phil Parmet's plain cinematography further enhance the overall gritty plausibility. An absolute powerhouse.

Prison movies suffer so often from clichéd stereotyping that a genre pic that tries to avoid those pitfalls seems automatically masterful even if it's flawed.That's the case with this gritty tale of jail male bonding that eschews both the glamourized nostalgic and the over-the-top violent way material such as this is usually handled. Buscemi's matter-of-fact approach, along with a splendid cast, may result in an all too slackly paced narrative, but the setting breathes authenticity and the lack of manipulative story devices is refreshing. His direction is rather pedestrian, though, and some deeper characterizations would've been welcome.And the last act disappoints somewhat.6 out of 10 Mickey Rourkes in drag

Pay no attention to these other reviews; the people who wrote them don't know what they're talking about: In 1996 I was convicted of armed robbery and sent to prison in Washington state for eight years (of which I did seven)and I'm here to tell you that ANIMAL FACTORY is the real deal; I was a lot like the character played by Edward Furlong and I was lucky enough to meet men like the character played by Wilem Dafoe, guys who didn't want to rape me, guys who didn't want to kill me, guys who acted decently amidst all of the indecency.Since my release from prison in 2003 I am invariably asked the two big questions when it comes to incarceration in this country: A) did I get raped? and B) is prison really like you see on OZ? Well, luckily, I didn't get raped and I've never seen OZ but anyone who wants to see what prison is like should get a gander at ANIMAL FACTORY. The entire film drips with authenticity. Within 2 minutes I felt that old queasy feeling in my stomach--exactly as if I were back there myself, all over again.For those of you out there who might think there is still a bit of rebellious glamour left in going to prison, watch ANIMAL FACTORY and take it from me: being locked up is not cool and its not fun and it is not something that anyone should aspire to.