Cell
213 (2011/E1 DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: D Film: D
From
the Director of Boogeyman comes Cell 213 - a 2011
horror film that with some interesting ideas but a story that feels
like a film school student wrote it in advanced screenwriting class.
In
the film, Lawyer Michael Grey (Balfour) is summoned to an isolated
prison to defend a murderer. When the murderer violently kills
himself during their interview, all eyes are on Grey and he is soon
sentenced in the same prison, South River State Penitentiary. Forced
to deal with a sadistic guard (Rooker) and an enigmatic Warden
(Greenwood) and locked in Cell 213, the same as the murderer who put
him in prison, God and the devil battle for Grey's soul, while the
question of his guilt and innocence hangs in the balance.
There
are a few scary moments here and there but overall the film feels a
little implausible like its hard to imagine that Grey (our dumb
protagonist) would be convicted of first-degree murder because he had
no reason to pre-meditate the killing. And, if he's such a hot-shot
lawyer, why couldn't he convince judge and jury that it was temporary
insanity? Also why would Grey be sent to the very prison run by the
chief witness against him? So many logistical questions in the plot
in the opening that by the time the big twist comes it all starts to
lose the viewer.
Sound
and Picture on the disc are standard for the format with a standard
16.9 anamorphic widescreen image (2.40:1) that looks fine for DVD and
a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Subtitles on the disc in English
SDH. Total running time for the film is 109 minutes.
No
extras are on the disc with the exception of a trailer.
All
in all this effort isn't all that grand - a film that wasn't released
on Blu-ray is usually a sure sign.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv
