2hotFeature one of my absolute favorites!

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Theo Robertson The pregnant girlfriend of Tommy Nix is assaulted causing her to miscarry . Tommy assaults a couple of police officers so he can be jailed in order to carry out his revenge on the men who committed the crime against his girlfriend A simple revenge plot and perhaps mindful of this director Ron Scalpello goes out of his way to make sure the audience don't get bored by a simple tale of revenge . Massive big mistake because Scalpello almost undermines the movie with his " hey look at me " directorial flourishes that makes a MTV ident look like a static painting in comparison . The more you might be reminded of Alan Clarke's gritty realist cinema borstal drama SCUM the more Ronnie boy tries to distract you I've no idea of Mr Scalpello's background but he's obviously influenced by adverts and music videos and never resists the temptation to have a blasting soundtrack with moody stylistic sharply edited visuals . You don't like drum and bass bruv ? Don't worry because in a few minutes we'll get a long montage with some indie guitar sounds . You want romance ? Good because we'll have a smoochy song for a flashback . You want the film to just get on with telling a story ? You're being a little bit optimistic for real bruv innitThis is something of a pity because Scalpello does manage to develop Paul Van Carter's screenplay intermittently but perhaps not often enough . I was very impressed with Joe Cole who very often doesn't get to say much but does manage to give an angst ridden performance and I look forward to seeing this young actor in more suitable material . Of the other performances the stand out is English Frank ( Not I take it his birth name ) as Jake the prison daddy . Yeah okay it a in your face OTT performance that possibly has no basis in reality but it is memorable and is in keeping with the entire style of the movie OFFENDER ends up being a very curious film where less might have been more . It can never be accused of being boring or having a sluggish pace but it's a film that can't be taken seriously either . In other words it's disposable entertainment

Blind Lemon This movie has a good start, the 'justice'-theme made clear in the early parts of the film. It's professionally done, nice camera-work and thought out takes.But it's also obvious very soon that you're watching 'the Vicky Pollard's brother in jail show'. This one hour and 41 minutes are of the same level as Brits on holiday or at a soccer match (or on their own island for that matter): getting sloshed and high and fighting and ruining it for everybody else. Ali G or Borat (with or without mankini) would have fit in nicely.But.. The music is very pleasing. As a matter of fact I just watched this C-film with my guitar plugged in and jamming along to the various music styles that you get to hear. Nice adaption of known songs, different styles, great! I'm thinking of putting some things in my loop machine and make jam tracks out of it.Maybe you got interested after reading this review, but I think you should just download the soundtrack (if available).(IMDB: why do I have to change correctly spelled words?)

January39 For those old enough this is kind of a Scum remake (just not quite as good), our lead loses his girlfriend after she miscarries their baby and he wants revenge on the criminals who (possibly) caused it... How does he do that? Gets banged up so he can beat them up.Our lead is then banged up and so begins his quest to avenge his girlfriend, tackling the bad guys one by one without them knowing who or what is doing. Thrown in the bent guard who enjoys partying with the bad guys and you get the picture. It's him against the world. His story is told through a series of flashback and dreams and other than that you never really get to know him... Yes, it sounds dodgy but give it time and it is actually quite good, the lead plays the part well - you can never really work him out as to whether he is a crazy or just really angry and on the edge. The supporting cast are a little weaker, not bad just weaker.There are also scenes where truth and realism take a back seat - like the 2 ZX10 bikes they have, how did they obtain 2 bikes in the same colour in the same place at the same time during the riots all with matching helmets!? - and better yet they can ride them like demons! Then after the attack on the shop they nick another car (BMW this time) and drive to the shop for reasons we never find out, only to encounter the police investigating the crime - really, what a surprise!!! Would any aspiring criminal (been doing since he been Sh**ting rusks, apparently) do that? I doubt it. I could not help feeling that the burglary got shoehorned in at the last minute to beef up the menace of the gangsters...Overlook these small flaws and give it a chance and it's a pretty good film. I doubt it will win awards or Oscars and we probably will never consider it a classic BUT it does draw you in, you do care about the lead and if we rated films on how believable they are (aside the small errors) then this film would do better than most blockbusters.6/10 for me, only just though...To sum up, give it a chance and you might be surprised!! I have a feeling we might be seeing more of the lead in the future.

ambam12 its an update on scum but very different from recent film dog-pound it actually goes beyond both those due to a truly stunning performance from lead actor Joe Cole who is a newcomer.Cole is amazing, he has intensity and focus and emotion that reminds me paddy considine sometimes, and also tom hardy in Bronson.the rest of supporting cast are strong especially the evil prison warden. lots of shaky camera work and a good soundtrack.very violent sometimes too violent in places, and the ending of this film flips it on you. but after having left it just grows on you and you think more and more about the lives of the two main characters at the end, and what must have happened to them beyond where the story left off, the sign of a good story always if it rattles round in your head as you leave the cinema.its not really comparable to a Prophete that was a very different film, but this film becomes the new Scum for this century and thanks to actor Cole who will be a star it is powerful enough to be better than Winstone's film from the 80s.