Blistering performances.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Utter rubbish.... poor acting, poor direction, same old same old storyline glorifying thugs and murderers

I was hoping this would have moved irish cinema forward a bit. Unfortunately it succeeded in doing the exact opposite.There was a great lack of authenticity regarding the prison atmosphere, the supposed northern Ireland accents of some of the actors, the location( shot in Cork southern ireland and didn't care to hide that fact in the film). You would expect a prison drama to be a bit gritty and claustrophobic and maybe even instill a sense of menace. This felt more like an adult day care center where you could sit and drink a cup of tea with your custodian. Some performances worked but overall the film was embarrassing to watch as the amateurish holes appeared one after another.

Maze is an adaptation of the true story of the escape of IRA political prisoners from British captivity in Maze prison, Northern Ireland. There's a thread of quiet tension about this film that's drawn ever tighter as the prisoners plans to escape intricately come together. At the same time there's a human tale on offer about the connection between people who on initial inspection appear to be on different sides of the bars. The reality of course is everyone in Northern Ireland is in one way or another held prisoner by the larger conflict. This includes the warden and his family who has a friendship of sorts with the prison break mastermind Larry who is, in turn, obligated by his bonds with his fallen IRA comrades. The acting in this film is understated but frankly quite excellent. Not for one moment was this film dull or boring and believe me, it could have been given the film takes place in the confines of the Maze prison.One to watch. 8/10.

Plodding and unimaginative. It was obviously made on a shoestring budget. Even the excellent Tom Vaughan-Lawlor cannot overcome predictable action sequences and hackneyed dialogue. Both sets of prisoners - republican and loyalist - are presented as implausibly mild caricatures of the truly dangerous men they obviously were in reality.