Inside - Film Review

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Guy Pierce finds himself doing hard time in this tense and gritty prison movie from Australian writer/director Charles Williams. Pierce plays Warren Murfett, a wily and well connected inmate imprisoned over a hit and run. Warren is nearing parole, but the arrival of two new inmates will upset the balance of power in the prison Warren is seeking leave from. The resulting drama is a frank and fearless (and it must be said, very bleak) tale of men ruined by their own impulses and insanity.



One of the new prisoners is 18-year-old Mel (an outstanding debut performance from Vincent Miller). Mel has just graduated from juvenile to adult prison and is completing a sentence for a shocking act of violence committed in his youth. In fact, Mel has a long history with the correctional system: Inside begins with home video of his parents' wedding, the ceremony conducted in jail while Mel's father was doing time.

It gets complicated for Mel when he learns his cellmate will be Mark Shepard (Cosmo Jarvis), a child rapist and murderer considered Australia's most notorious criminal. Mark has won a legal appeal against solitary confinement and now that he can mix with others, begins a role as a preacher, leading services in the prison's chapel. Spotting Mel's keyboard, he asks his cellmate to provide the musical accompaniment to the services. Mel, who seems to just float along, agrees and watches as Mark encourages fellow inmates to seek redemption (though most of his audience only attend to heckle him).

At the same time, Warren is presenting the appearance of a reformed inmate before his parole hearing. But when Mel lashes out and gets himself noticed by prison authorities, Warren takes the young prisoner under his wing, getting him a prison job and offering to be his new cellmate. But Warren is not the benevolent force he appears. And when a contract is placed on Mark's head and Mel volunteers to kill Australia's most notorious criminal, Warren gets all too involved.

The storyline and the writing here is very good, it's authentic and raw, with just enough little twists to keep things fresh. The film is made by the misguided father-son type relationship between Warren and Mel, one which becomes more pertinent when we learn, through flashbacks, of Mel's own relationship with his father.

Inside is built around exceptional acting. Guy Pierce expertly plays the slippery and inadequate Warren, all bravado and confidence on the outside, yet inside a wreck, and a person who has clearly lost any ability to function in normal society. Cosmo Jarvis, likewise, offers a masterful, haunting performance as Mark.

This is searing and raw drama which doesn't opt for easy answers, instead delivering very limited hints at salvation. It's not political at all, offering no quick solutions or remedies, just a constant reminder that nothing happens in isolation. Inside is a dark and confronting film, but one which is handled with expertise.

Inside is in cinemas February 27.

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