Offender (2012)

Offender is a slightly different take on the standard British prison drama films. There are lots of similarities with the characters inside and all the trouble that happens but this film had a different storyline & style.The plot revolves around Tommy, portrayed superbly by Joe Cole, who is sent to a young offenders institute after he assaults two police officers at the start of the film. I as the viewer assumed he was just a thug who done this on a regular basis but as the film progresses we see certain flashbacks which explain his reasons differently, of course it is still an awful thing to do but he is out for revenge once he gets there. I just liked it general that it had an actual storyline rather than just being another standard prison film where every scene takes place inside.The cast mostly do a very good job and I was intrigued all the way through, the emotional sides of things also felt very realistic. One thing I didn't like so much was the camera seemed to be very shaky with a lot of scenes which seemed slightly unnecessary. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I feel it is slightly underrated on IMDb.I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is easily offended by bad language and very brutal violence. If you enjoyed this film I also recommend 'Starred Up' starring Jack O'Connell. I would say that one is slightly better but 'Offender' still gets a solid 8/10 from me.

The pregnant girlfriend of Tommy Nix is assaulted causing her to miscarry . Tommy assaults a couple of police officers so he can be jailed in order to carry out his revenge on the men who committed the crime against his girlfriend A simple revenge plot and perhaps mindful of this director Ron Scalpello goes out of his way to make sure the audience don't get bored by a simple tale of revenge . Massive big mistake because Scalpello almost undermines the movie with his " hey look at me " directorial flourishes that makes a MTV ident look like a static painting in comparison . The more you might be reminded of Alan Clarke's gritty realist cinema borstal drama SCUM the more Ronnie boy tries to distract you I've no idea of Mr Scalpello's background but he's obviously influenced by adverts and music videos and never resists the temptation to have a blasting soundtrack with moody stylistic sharply edited visuals . You don't like drum and bass bruv ? Don't worry because in a few minutes we'll get a long montage with some indie guitar sounds . You want romance ? Good because we'll have a smoochy song for a flashback . You want the film to just get on with telling a story ? You're being a little bit optimistic for real bruv innitThis is something of a pity because Scalpello does manage to develop Paul Van Carter's screenplay intermittently but perhaps not often enough . I was very impressed with Joe Cole who very often doesn't get to say much but does manage to give an angst ridden performance and I look forward to seeing this young actor in more suitable material . Of the other performances the stand out is English Frank ( Not I take it his birth name ) as Jake the prison daddy . Yeah okay it a in your face OTT performance that possibly has no basis in reality but it is memorable and is in keeping with the entire style of the movie OFFENDER ends up being a very curious film where less might have been more . It can never be accused of being boring or having a sluggish pace but it's a film that can't be taken seriously either . In other words it's disposable entertainment

what a pile this film is.the comparisons to scum are meaningless, this is not in the same league.the beginning should sum this film up, a young lad beats up two riot cops with ease, then only gets two years,rubbish during the uk 2011 riots the sentencing was much harsher for far less.then we are taken on a journey to see why he did it.don't bother ,its a waste of time.i used to love these sort of dramas a sense of freedom ,made in Britain scum etc, they where not perfect, but had some sense of reality. are the writers of this garbage living on a different planet? sadly i think they are.making this type of film to appeal to the youth is a cynical marketing ploy. yeah there are lots of angry young men out there. but to tackle this complex social problem in such a one dimensional way is crass and insulting to viewers.

I was intrigued as to why this was scoring so low on IMDb yet there was a suspicious lack of scaithing reviews - a film that is so hated usually inspires a few rants, yet nothing. So I decided to judge for myself.I've read comparisons to Scum and Prophet, obvious comparisons due to the location being in a borstal, but as the story was of a man seeking vigilante justice comparisons to Death Wish and the totally implausible Law Abiding Citizen spring to mind.Tommy his a hard working youth who's starting a family with his girlfriend when his life is turned upside down by a gang of four armed robbers. It seems clichéd but at least the back story is not quite as obvious as it appears on paper as you learn how Tommy got to this point with just a hint of the man he is on the outside through flash-backs. Now if you can believe the slightly unlikely main plot device that Tommy can commit a crime to get sent to both the same jail and wing as the men/boys he wants justice from then you can buy in to the story - as far as I'm concerned that is the only weak point.Joe Cole is convincing as Tommy, a man who's world has been turned upside down and has gone to extreme lengths to rid himself of the guilt and anger he feels. There's a strong cast who bring a believability to these characters and the portrayal of borstal is grim and harsh yet feels very real.The were 18 people in the 16:40 Monday afternoon showing I went to and none walked out. I don't think it's a classic but I gave it a 7/10 and would recommend to anyone who likes a decent British movies along the lines of Ill Manors and Kidulthood to go and see it whilst it's still showing.