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    		•

    FILMS

    The Last Castle (2001)
  • Starring Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Burton, Delroy Lindo, Paul Calderon, Samuel Ball, Jeremy Childs, Clifton Collins Jr.

  • Directed by Rod Lurie


    • This film could easily have been a direct-to-video flop. Now, now—don't get in a huff. I'm not saying that I didn't like The Last Castle. Far from it. I loved it. Much of this adoration, however, is directly attributed to Robert Redford and James Gandolfini. They bring to the film a degree of character and depth to the film, just by being themselves, that makes it—at least for me—likable.

    Robert Redford plays a Lt. Gen. Irwin. He gets stripped of his rank and command when failing to execute an order. (It's been a few months since I've seen this one, so I don't remember the reason. But it's not really important.) James Gandolfini plays the prison warden. A man who is incredibly infatuated with Irwin's tactical prowess and military fame.

    They get off to a bad start because of an off-hand comment made my Irwin. Irwin quickly realizes how poorly the inmates are treated and plans to do something about it. They're not going to break out—they're going to take over the prison.

    I ain't gonna lie to you: I have absolutely no personal knowledge of the military or of prison. Though I do have a friend who says the former feels like the latter, but that's a story for another day.

    This movie feels real. Sure, the drama is raised beyond that of real life. Sure, the plans and tactics seems to work nearly perfectly. Sure, the inmates have an awful lot of respect for a general that most of them have probably only heard about before. Sure, some of them are willing to die to overthrow the warden....but this movie feels real. It's hard to say what a situation like this would be like and how it would play out. I can't judge because I never have been (and hopefully never will be) in the military, in prison, or in a military prison.

    But it feels real. And it feels good. And Robert Redford is the type of general that, if I was in the military, I'd like to think I'd follow. Idealistic and practical. Not a bad combination.

    I highly recommend this film for pretty much everyone. My wife agreed to watch it with me—she didn't think she'd like it—and yet, by the time the credits rolled, she was considerably impressed. If you like prison movies, military movies, or character-driven movies...you'll like The Last Castle Don't let the advertising throw you off....it's not as hokey as all of that.