Wednesday, June 5, 2013

RELEASED reviewed by NYC FILM GURU

At the Quad Cinema, you'll find the doc Released about four former convicts, namely, Casimiro Torres, Kenneth Harrigan, Vilma Ortiz Donovan, and Angel Ramos, who all lived in the Castle which houses recently-paroled convicts. They perform a play together called The Castle where they give vivid accounts of how they ended up in prison, their experiences inside the prison, and how the Castle residence helped them to get back on their feet instead of going back to prison like most convicts do. Each story is compelling, heartfelt and well-performed, but the real meat of director Philip F. Messina's doc can be found in the latter part when the former convicts discuss the value of the Castle, and how greeted with "Welcome Home" upon entering the residence changed everything. Released doesn't go into the root of the drug/violence problems in the U.S., but it at least serves as an inspiration for current convicts and as a cautionary tale for everyone else who may get tempted to go down the path of drugs and violence. -Ave Offer, NYC Movie Guru

NYC MOVIE GURU