Best movie of this year hands down!

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Short and Simple Review by WubsTheFadgerFelon is a film about a man convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sent to prison. While in prison he learns how to survive. The story in theory and concept should be interesting and intense, but it fails to invoke intrigue in the beginning and middle parts of the film. I thought the ending was very good and the dialogue at the end was great. The violence used throughout the film was not as brutal as I expected.The acting is okay. Stephen Dorff performs rather well but he does deliver some dry lines. Marisol Nichols, Harold Perrineau, and Val Kilmer also perform well but they have deliver some shaky lines. Sam Shepard performs very well but Sam Shepard always performs well. Chris Browning's and Johnny Lewis' characters were the best.The pacing is very slow for a prison film and this makes the runtime seem rather long.Pros: Good ending, okay acting, and the third act is very good, and two really good characters mentioned aboveCons: Slow pacing, an overlong runtime, okay acting, the story had a lot more potential, and the violence was not that brutalOverall Rating: 6.8P.S. If you enjoy prison films, I would recommend Brawl in Cell Block 99. Brawl is way more intense, has a better story, it has really good acting, brutal violence, and a stunning ending. The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and American History X are also very good prison films that are touching, disturbing, and heartbreaking in their own ways.

A decently constructed feature, that did well in pulling the viewer in and getting them emotionally involved. I personally am glad that Felon has a happy ending, because the director could've easily went the other way, which in my opinion could've proved to be a bit more profound, however for the viewer, perhaps a whole lot more frustrating... In a good way as far as the film is concerned.A movie about the injustice of a system that very often seems like it wasn't put in place to serve or protect, but rather accomplish any agenda set by its architects, is sure to tug at the right emotional strings, and Felon did just that.The story is grounded, possible and very realistic, which makes it vastly relatable, because it could really happen to anyone at anytime. All you have to do with Felon, is imagine yourself in said position, and just like that, you're a part of it.Injustice, unfairness and mistreatment as a basis of a story is all good and well to conjure up, however, you need a director with the right vision, and actors that can embody that vision to give it the relevance, purpose and meaning that is necessary for the feeling to hit home. Felon displayed a fair attempt at showcasing such unfairness. 7.2/10.

OMG What A Great Movie ... I Never Heard Of It And It Took Me Completely By Surprise ... Although Stephen Dorff Is Excellent In His Role As The A Man Surviving To Get Back To His Family It Is Val Kilmer's Roll As The Anti-Hero That Makes This A Brilliant Movie ... The Movie Closes And I Am Left With A Sadness That Is Contrary To The Type Of Movie That It Is ... And That Is A Testament To The Script ... Hard Yet Loving, Merciful Yet Unforgiving, Guilty Yet Innocent ... Felon Reminds Us That The Only Devils Live In Our Hearts And Minds ... It's Greatest Lesson Is That We Can All Rise Above Who We Are ... Shawshank Redemption Is The Last Time A Prison Film Has Moved Me Like This

I read on an internet message board that someone said about 'Felon' and how it's "The best film ever to go straight to DVD." Well, I'm not sure it's the best ever, but I kind of know where that quote came from. It is damn good. However, it is also very BLEAK. Wow, is it depressing from time to time. It is dark, gritty, nasty, sad, frustrating and then all of those again.It tells the story of a decent family man who (sort of) accidentally kills a burglar one night and gets sent to prison. There he must learn the inner workings of the new 'society' he finds himself in. Many people may draw parallels with the excellent 'Shawshank Redemption.' Yes, they are both about similar subject matter, but they're both very different. Felon uses a lot of hand-held camera-work, giving it a deliberately amateur 'documentary' feel to it, which adds to the realism.Just like Shawshank, Felon has no 'weak links' when it comes to its actors. I don't normally think much of Val Kilmer, but here he plays his part well and you'll find you have sympathy for everyone here, even some people you think you may not normally like.All it all, Felon is a great little movie. It probably should have got a full theatrical release, but its sombre tone may well alienate the general populous. If you're in the mood for something dark then you'll probably appreciate this.