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The Last Castle
2001
Three-star General Irwin (Robert Redford) was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and a revered hero in the Persian Gulf and Bosnian campaigns. Now, he has been court-martialed for disobeying orders and he is sentenced to serve time at The Castle, a maximum-security military prison run by Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini), a hard-.. Read more
| Starring | Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Delroy Lindo |
|---|---|
| Director | Rod Lurie |
| Genres | Drama |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Robert Redford was paid a sizeable amount of money to star in this men-behind-bars drama. Unfortunately, neither he nor the film deliver full value for money. The increasingly crinkly Redford plays a court-martialled three-star general who's sent to a military jail, where he becomes embroiled in an acrimonious battle of wills with martinet warden James Gandolfini (of The Sopranos fame). However, despite trying to produce a character study rather than an action melodrama, The Contender director Rod Lurie offers up a fairly generic prison flick — a patchwork of ideas from earlier penal movies such as Billy Wilder's Stalag 17, Cool Hand Luke and Brubaker. Even Mark Ruffalo's cynical bookie, the only character of interest, is reminiscent of William Holden's Sefton from the Wilder war film. Nevertheless, Lurie's pedestrian approach to the material cannot stop actors of the calibre of Redford and Gandolfini from providing a passable two hours of entertainment.
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Stale drama of redemption and discipline that recycles most of the clichés familiar from other prison and gung-ho war movies, and miscasts Redford as an action hero.
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A prison movie with military trappings, this feels like something Hollywood might have made with Burt Lancaster or... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
View all -
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Not just another prison film
I thought that this might be just another prison film (my partner has some weird interest in all prison films!), but this was genuinely enjoyable, with some good action for the boys, and more thoughtful moments along the way for the girls too. I would say that this has been somewhat overlooked as a decent film for any night in. Go for it!
Nick -
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Superb film
What an excellent performance from Robert Redford! Redford's fans must not miss this film. The movie is quite dramatic but good ending.
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
One of the best
I have seen hundreds of films but this must be one of the best i have seen so far. 5 stars + if you havent seen it as yet rent it.
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Not just another prison film
I thought that this might be just another prison film (my partner has some weird interest in all prison films!), but this was genuinely enjoyable, with some good action for the boys, and more thoughtful moments along the way for the girls too. I would say that this has been somewhat overlooked as a decent film for any night in. Go for it!
Nick -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Robert Redford in an usual role with some unusual twists
This is a typical RR movie, although it presents some interesting twists. RR plays the reluctant silent hero that saves the day, as usual, and he does it with allure. The first twist you will notice is that he plays an old general, not a young maverick as usual. RR seems to be coming to terms finally with his age. The second is that he plays the role of a failed hero. He may be a highly decorated general, but his daughter resents him deeply for never being around ? and the twist is that he acknowledges that and shows his emotional frailty.
This is good solid entertainment, but no more than that. Good direction, good sense of what it is like to be in military custody and that sense that you cannot break a person if you stand up to it. But it lacks a stronger point to it all, and although we never have a boring moment, we have seen it all before. Simply put: I enjoyed it, but I would never watch it twice, as I do with 4 stars movies.
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Not just another prison film
I thought that this might be just another prison film (my partner has some weird interest in all prison films!), but this was genuinely enjoyable, with some good action for the boys, and more thoughtful moments along the way for the girls too. I would say that this has been somewhat overlooked as a decent film for any night in. Go for it!
Nick -
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Superb film
What an excellent performance from Robert Redford! Redford's fans must not miss this film. The movie is quite dramatic but good ending.
-
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
One of the best
I have seen hundreds of films but this must be one of the best i have seen so far. 5 stars + if you havent seen it as yet rent it.
-
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Robert Redford in an usual role with some unusual twists
This is a typical RR movie, although it presents some interesting twists. RR plays the reluctant silent hero that saves the day, as usual, and he does it with allure. The first twist you will notice is that he plays an old general, not a young maverick as usual. RR seems to be coming to terms finally with his age. The second is that he plays the role of a failed hero. He may be a highly decorated general, but his daughter resents him deeply for never being around ? and the twist is that he acknowledges that and shows his emotional frailty.
This is good solid entertainment, but no more than that. Good direction, good sense of what it is like to be in military custody and that sense that you cannot break a person if you stand up to it. But it lacks a stronger point to it all, and although we never have a boring moment, we have seen it all before. Simply put: I enjoyed it, but I would never watch it twice, as I do with 4 stars movies. -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
I love Robert Redford in this film although it's a very typical american patriotic film. i think it's a bit similar to 'Gladiator.' just this time the general is guilty of something so that he has to serve in the prison. If you like heroic film and you don't mind to be overwhelmed with the american hero plot, than, this is the film that you shouldn't miss.
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Excellent Film
What a film one of the best i have seen for years
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Plenty better prison movies out there
Really I don't know whats good about this. I think you might have to be pretty patriotic and American to accept the final stages of this.
Seems to draw heavily on other prison movies- but here it's all about conforming. Cool Hand Luke is where it's really at, get that instead.
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- Chunkysimon from Falkirk
- Posted 03 Dec 2006 23:08
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Great preformances from James (tony soprano) Gandolfini & Robert Redford, and a Gladiator-like storyline make this a must see.
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Salute!
Good prison film, alot better than expected well worth a wach.
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A very good prison movie
A very good film based in a military prison. Robert Redford plays an imprisoned general who organises a mass uprising to get rid of the evil and corrupt prison warden. I gave it 8/10.
Critics' reviews (3)
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Robert Redford was paid a sizeable amount of money to star in this men-behind-bars drama. Unfortunately, neither he nor the film deliver full value for money. The increasingly crinkly Redford plays a court-martialled three-star general who's sent to a military jail, where he becomes embroiled in an acrimonious battle of wills with martinet warden James Gandolfini (of The Sopranos fame). However, despite trying to produce a character study rather than an action melodrama, The Contender director Rod Lurie offers up a fairly generic prison flick — a patchwork of ideas from earlier penal movies such as Billy Wilder's Stalag 17, Cool Hand Luke and Brubaker. Even Mark Ruffalo's cynical bookie, the only character of interest, is reminiscent of William Holden's Sefton from the Wilder war film. Nevertheless, Lurie's pedestrian approach to the material cannot stop actors of the calibre of Redford and Gandolfini from providing a passable two hours of entertainment.
-
Stale drama of redemption and discipline that recycles most of the clichés familiar from other prison and gung-ho war movies, and miscasts Redford as an action hero.
-
A prison movie with military trappings, this feels like something Hollywood might have made with Burt Lancaster or... read more on Time Out
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The Last Castle
Three-star General Irwin (Robert Redford) was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and a revered hero in the Persian Gulf and Bosnian campaigns. Now, he has been court-martialed for disobeying orders and he is sentenced to serve time at The Castle, a maximum-security military prison run by Colonel Winter (...
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