Good acting, average story

Rating: 7/10 (6 November 2004)

** Some spoilers about the general storyline **
I had some expectations regarding this movie, because of the excellent rating it got here. To start with the positive: the acting (especially by the two protagonists) is indeed of the highest level, and some scenes really grip you. The camera-work is also excellent (beautiful prison-building!)
The story of this movie is a 13-in-a-dozen story about someone who (of course) is wrongly sentenced to a long story; who meets his new friend (mostly an elderly person), who makes enemies and defeats them, who turns his long-stay into something good, then is betrayed by his corrupt warden, etc. etc. Sometimes it even got a bit cheesy, the way in which all the prison cliché's were displayed.
I could recommend this movie to you, if you are looking for a nice drama with good acting and good camera. Don't expect an Oscar-worthy movie, though.