Animal Factory
Actors: Tom Arnold, Mickey Rourke
Release Date: Monday 30th November -0001
Running time: 95 minutes minutes
Almost three years after it debuted in American cinemas and Steve Buscemi's robust but ultimately rather unadventurous prison drama finally gets a release on this side of the world. Penned by Edward Bunker (he of a bit part in Reservoir Dogs fame and a real life ex-con to boot), the movie follows the relationship between two prisoners at opposite ends of the spectrum. In an efficient performance, Furlong plays Ron Decker, an affluent youngster who is sent to the big house after he's caught dealing weed. There, alongside his cross-dressing, very fruity cellmate Jan the Actress (Mickey Rourke in a hilarious role), he encounters Earl Copen (a snarling Dafoe) a long term prisoner, who takes the younger man under his wing and teaches him to survive the most vicious extremities of the penal system.
Considering the wealth of talent on offer here, Animal Factory should have been unforgettable. That it isn't shouldn't be considered unforgivable but the ultimate concession towards the hoary old staples of the prison drama is rather disappointing. For the first hour or so, there are many things to admire - the relationship between Decker and Copen is beautifully etched, and there's a splendid ambiguity about Earl's philanthropy. Indeed, it ranks as one of Dafoe's better performances in recent memory. He's a pent up ball of aggression, a startling but utterly believable mass of contradictions. Unfortunately, it doesn't last as things peter out to an unlikely conclusion and Buscemi's direction lacks real bite in the final third, which betrays the early conviction of the material. It's a real shame because this one promised so much.
