20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gritty, Realistic, Sometimes Hard to Watch, August 19, 2002
By A Customer
What makes this movie a standout is that it all seems real. This is no backlot prison stage with sqeaky clean actors trying to play real grit. This is truly a down and dirty portrayal of women's prison life. But despite the often disturbing depiction of this (the unabashed violence; and one scene with a prison guard and a speculum), that's not really what this movie is about. It delves deeper into one young woman's dream/fantasy of recapturing the archetypal missing mother and chronicles her transformation from a girl who knows what she wants (to find her mother, Brownie, who is locked up in the federal pen) to a young woman whose self-discovery becomes her ultimate grief.
The movie is filled with outstanding performances (Rain Phoenix, for one is phenomenal), good pacing and production,and good storytelling. It falls short because I believe it does perpetuate some stereotypes many may have about women's prisons and at times, doesn't seem to be able to move beyond these familiar, formulaic images. I would have liked to have seen something I haven't seen in prison movies before.
The DVD has chapter selection capability and is presented in widescreen format. However, if you are looking for special features, this is about it. I would have liked to have seen a "behind the camera" featurette or a director's commentary on this disc. Cheryl Dunye is a talented, talented director and not to have heard directly from her about this movie is a shortcoming.
I recommend this movie very highly. It's not one you'll want to watch over and over so before you buy, consider renting it first. This movie is like a fine meal, it's good the first time around but you wouldn't want to eat this way every night.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Intense Film, January 11, 2006
I really enjoyed this film... The relationship that Treasure had with her mother was unfortunately, not far from reality in some cases. I thought the activities/events of prison life was really bold of HBO and I was impressed with their dedication to keep things in line with reality. I think the acting in the film, especially by Treasure, was very well presented. The characters were believable and realistic. Great job on this one...
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Twisted, August 11, 2009
I THOUGHT THIS MOVIE WAS JUST GOING TO BE ABOUT JAIL AND HOW HARD WOMEN HAVE IT IN JAIL....BOY WAS I WRONG. THIS MOVIE WAS EXCELLENT. IT CAPTIVES YOU FROM THE OPENING SCENE TO THE END. I WISH THEY WOULD HAVE MADE A SEQUEL, JUST TO CONTINUE THE SUSPENSE. I EVEN SHARED THIS MOVIE WITH FAMILY FRIENDS AND THEY ENJOYED IT. THIS IS A MUST TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION.
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