I liked Animal Factory, not really because it pays homage to Shawshank Redemption, but simply because of how dark and gritty the film is in portraying prison life. Violent, unnerving, shocking at times but still it holds a message that we house these people in prisons with poor quality with the real animals. Young offenders put in with experienced and hardened prisoners who manipulate them.

My only issue was the duration of the film, I kinda get critical of short films especially ones I really enjoy and don't want to finish too quickly. I can't criticise the performances, as its one the strongest suits of the film with both Dafoe and Furlong. However to me it was Wiilem Dafoe who stole the screen for me, as to me he is an amazing actor. In the film, he portrayed a real down to earth man who had years of experience.

All in all Animal Factory is an unknown film, but it more than made up for it in many ways. Had it not gone straight to DVD, and actually had some advertising and screened in cinemas it could have made a tidy profit. If you like your prison dramas, gritty and dark Animal Factory is your kind of thing.

This should come with a stench of authenticity . Bssed on a novel by Edward Bunker who knows all about hard men doing hard time it also features a supporting role by Danny Trejo who's just about the hardest man to have held an American Equity card . Add to this a rare starring role for Edward Furlong as a middle class boy with the world at his feet who's thrown everything away to become small time drug dealer facing several years inside and you'd think there would be no acting required but ANIMAL FACTORY is a film that never really takes off . It's not a bad film but is never as good as it could or should have been

From the outset there's a lack of motivation . New arrival Ron Decker finds himself in prison and Ayran Brotherhood leader Earl Copen takes a shine to him and becomes his mentor .. What's the motive ? Sex surely , but no this very obvious point is never brought up . Earl look after Ron because .... well just because . I'm reminded of an interview I read with a former jail bird who described " the San Quentin double cross " . This involves an older lag befriending a newbie who has been pressured by other prisoners in to having sex . The older lag promises the new arrival he'll have a word and take the pressure off the newbie but there's a price to this - the newbie has to agree to be the older prisoner's bitch - " It's them or me son so what's it gonna be ? " The name of this interviewee is none other than Edward Bunker which makes it doubly confusing that Earl is doing all this from the goodness of his heart and Ron doesn't feel the slightest suspicion . Even if you're a law abiding citizen who found your self in jail wouldn't you be suspicious at the way Earl fixes things while seemingly wanting anything in return . Perhaps the source novel explains this but the on screen explanation is conspicuous by its absence

That's the problem on a narrative level . The second problem is down to the director Steve Buscemi . Visually the film has the look and feel of a made for television production . The framing is very static and lacks any sort of flourish and looks more like a cheap 1970s production . The fact that there's some swearing and some violence doesn't make ANIMAL FACTORY feel any more cinematic . Perhaps the rather staid look of the movie is down to Buscemi want to make the performances come to the fore and the acting isn't bad but like everything else about the movie it could have been slightly better

ANIMAL FACTORY is an odd little slice of drama that was directed by none other than Steve Buscemi, who also has a small role. It's a mix of coming-of-age drama with prison flick, although it aims to be more realistic than most and avoids delivering the usual action/suspense focus of the latter genre. Danny Trejo appears, of course, but he's not the usual thug for once, which says something about the movie's maturity and intentions. Willem Dafoe and Edward Furlong make for an interesting pairing as the mentor and callow youth, while the film's themes are interesting in terms of character and politics. Mickey Rourke offers random scene-stealing turn as a cross-dresser and Tom Arnold is surprisingly effective as a villain. It's not SHAWSHANK, but it's worth a look.