Post by stephen on Nov 11, 2018 19:16:36 GMT
I know a few people here have seen this film, but I didn’t know if anyone had made a discussion thread about it, and I wanna talk about it.
Based on the true story of an English boxer who finds himself locked in one of the worst hellholes on earth, A Prayer Before Dawn is one of the most harrowing prison films I’ve seen. Deeply grimed with blood and sweat, it is a film that does not hold back in showing the violence and depravity that incarceration can breed in the human condition. Weakness dies quickly in this squalor, and even strength can be taken out by a well-placed shiv to the throat.
As Billy Moore, the unfortunate fighter who winds up in this infernal place, Joe Cole’s performance is stripped-to-the-bone raw, feeling like it would fit right at home in the ‘70s, alongside the primes of Hackman and De Niro. Cole’s intensity is laserlike, fiercely committed, more like a hound in a dogfighting ring than a man. As strong as the rest of the film is—and indeed, it is extraordinary in this respect—it would all fall apart if it didn’t have such a powerhouse at its center, holding it all together. (On a side-note, Cole was nominated for a BIFA against Joaquin Phoenix in You Were Never Really Here; it's a testament to both that I can't choose between the two in terms of my preference. I really hope Cole sees it through to BAFTA as well.)
Boasting sinewy editing that hits the viewer like one of Billy’s left jabs, A Prayer Before Dawn is not an easy watch. Indeed, it’s the sort of movie that might turn viewers away with its unremitting bleakness. But if you’ve got the stomach for it, you’re in for a riveting treat.
Based on the true story of an English boxer who finds himself locked in one of the worst hellholes on earth, A Prayer Before Dawn is one of the most harrowing prison films I’ve seen. Deeply grimed with blood and sweat, it is a film that does not hold back in showing the violence and depravity that incarceration can breed in the human condition. Weakness dies quickly in this squalor, and even strength can be taken out by a well-placed shiv to the throat.
As Billy Moore, the unfortunate fighter who winds up in this infernal place, Joe Cole’s performance is stripped-to-the-bone raw, feeling like it would fit right at home in the ‘70s, alongside the primes of Hackman and De Niro. Cole’s intensity is laserlike, fiercely committed, more like a hound in a dogfighting ring than a man. As strong as the rest of the film is—and indeed, it is extraordinary in this respect—it would all fall apart if it didn’t have such a powerhouse at its center, holding it all together. (On a side-note, Cole was nominated for a BIFA against Joaquin Phoenix in You Were Never Really Here; it's a testament to both that I can't choose between the two in terms of my preference. I really hope Cole sees it through to BAFTA as well.)
Boasting sinewy editing that hits the viewer like one of Billy’s left jabs, A Prayer Before Dawn is not an easy watch. Indeed, it’s the sort of movie that might turn viewers away with its unremitting bleakness. But if you’ve got the stomach for it, you’re in for a riveting treat.
