Unremittingly tough jail-drama set in the modern-day but somehow feeling retro in many ways. There's a good true-to-life story here, of a newly installed reforming prison governor attempting a root and branch reform of the corrupt, inhumane and as it turns out evil practices at a prison somewhere in the prison south. Baulked by politics as his reforms start to make themselves felt, Redford's title character must decide whether or not to toe the party line and compromise his beliefs.
For me, the story was weakened by just too any scenes coming over as second-hand, witnessed in so many prison dramas of yore. At least the movie tells its story from a different point of view, in placing Brubaker at the centre of the drama and not the usually heroic prisoners.
The cinematography is excellent, as, for the most part is the ensemble acting. I'm not convinced Redford was right for the part, his good looks yet again working against him and his performance falling short of the crusading zeal the part demands. He rarely seems to get really angry, which is strange, as there's plenty for a liberal like him to rail against. I wasn't convinced by the over melodramatic "Spartacus" meets "Goodbye Mr Chips" finish, which just didn't ring true.
All that said, I was reasonably engrossed all the way through but didn't in the end feel the film conveyed a suitably dramatic arc, or insightful delineation of character, to really make it remarkable.
Good, yes, but not great.
For me, the story was weakened by just too any scenes coming over as second-hand, witnessed in so many prison dramas of yore. At least the movie tells its story from a different point of view, in placing Brubaker at the centre of the drama and not the usually heroic prisoners.
The cinematography is excellent, as, for the most part is the ensemble acting. I'm not convinced Redford was right for the part, his good looks yet again working against him and his performance falling short of the crusading zeal the part demands. He rarely seems to get really angry, which is strange, as there's plenty for a liberal like him to rail against. I wasn't convinced by the over melodramatic "Spartacus" meets "Goodbye Mr Chips" finish, which just didn't ring true.
All that said, I was reasonably engrossed all the way through but didn't in the end feel the film conveyed a suitably dramatic arc, or insightful delineation of character, to really make it remarkable.
Good, yes, but not great.