Here’s something that kinda slinked onto the big screen. No big publicity and I’ve yet to see a TV Spot for it. Maybe things are different Stateside, but Conviction has turned up out of nowhere.
Essentially the true story of Kenny Waters, an American bloke who went to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Instead of talking to the A-Team or even a few of the Watchmen, his sister, Betty Ann Waters goes to law school, and after nearly 20 years, she get’s her brother out of prison. On this pretty incredible journey she discovers plenty of corruption and shady dealings as she tries to keep her own family together at the same time. That’s the story, and if truth be told it’s a feel good story. After all, how many sibling’s would more or less give up a bulk of their life to becoming a legal eagle and free their brother?
There’s a decent enough cast here, Hilary Swank is Betty Anne Waters and Sam Rockwell takes on the role of Kenny Waters. Coupled up with the likes of an impressive Minnie Driver and an absolutely fantastic, yet short lived, performance from Juliette Lewis, Conviction does have it’s moments of greatness. Directed by Tony Goldwyn (who’s more at home directing the likes of Dexter and Grey’s Anatomy but also was the guy that threatened to kill Molly in Ghost) the movie starts well enough and a bunch of flash backs are expertly intertwined with the current day scenarios. After a number of these sequences, which to be fair are well done and look the part for that particular time, they start to drag a bit. In turn, the movie starts to feel a little bit drawn out and it’s 107 minute running seems overinflated.
Rockwell goes under an impressive transformation as he ages and his personality changes and evolves. Partly his transformation is like a reverse Benjamin Button, and the makeup is well done. Granted he’s rocking more crow’s feet than the local forest. His performance starts well and he’s a likeable character but as the movie trundles along to it’s conclusion, it’s almost like he runs out of steam or can’t be bothered. His performance isn’t bad but it just never lifts the way it should. Case and point is the scene where he gets the good news about his release. He doesn’t seem too bothered and in a previous scene was way more excited because his sister qualified as an attorney. Maybe that’s what prison does to somebody, but personally, If I was banged up for nearly 20 years and my sister bust her ass to get me out, I’d be doing a whole lot more than half cracking a smile when I got the good news. Hilary Swank has a bit more passion and put’s in a performance with plenty of gusto and conviction (sorry). Her interaction and chemistry with Rockwell is spot on and they really do come across as brother and sister. Again though, her performance, while better than Rockwell, never lifts to the next level either. For me, Juliette Lewis, and she only has a smallish role, is almost unrecognisable as an alcoholic who more or less got Kenny put away. It’s just a pity she didn’t get more screen time.
It’s pacing is solid, but slow. The cast are good, but only to a point and overall the whole thing feels like it ran out of steam in the closing chapters.
For such an amazing and inspirational tale, the movie is quite average and far from inspirational. It’s a bit unmemorable to be honest. But by no means is it a disaster and It’s certainly not a life sentence to watch it, but if it had a bit more conviction, it’d be a winner.
EXTRA BIT: Tragically, the real life Kenny Waters died the same year he was released from prison. He fell off a 15 foot wall and fractured his skull and subsequently died.
Essentially the true story of Kenny Waters, an American bloke who went to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Instead of talking to the A-Team or even a few of the Watchmen, his sister, Betty Ann Waters goes to law school, and after nearly 20 years, she get’s her brother out of prison. On this pretty incredible journey she discovers plenty of corruption and shady dealings as she tries to keep her own family together at the same time. That’s the story, and if truth be told it’s a feel good story. After all, how many sibling’s would more or less give up a bulk of their life to becoming a legal eagle and free their brother?
There’s a decent enough cast here, Hilary Swank is Betty Anne Waters and Sam Rockwell takes on the role of Kenny Waters. Coupled up with the likes of an impressive Minnie Driver and an absolutely fantastic, yet short lived, performance from Juliette Lewis, Conviction does have it’s moments of greatness. Directed by Tony Goldwyn (who’s more at home directing the likes of Dexter and Grey’s Anatomy but also was the guy that threatened to kill Molly in Ghost) the movie starts well enough and a bunch of flash backs are expertly intertwined with the current day scenarios. After a number of these sequences, which to be fair are well done and look the part for that particular time, they start to drag a bit. In turn, the movie starts to feel a little bit drawn out and it’s 107 minute running seems overinflated.
Rockwell goes under an impressive transformation as he ages and his personality changes and evolves. Partly his transformation is like a reverse Benjamin Button, and the makeup is well done. Granted he’s rocking more crow’s feet than the local forest. His performance starts well and he’s a likeable character but as the movie trundles along to it’s conclusion, it’s almost like he runs out of steam or can’t be bothered. His performance isn’t bad but it just never lifts the way it should. Case and point is the scene where he gets the good news about his release. He doesn’t seem too bothered and in a previous scene was way more excited because his sister qualified as an attorney. Maybe that’s what prison does to somebody, but personally, If I was banged up for nearly 20 years and my sister bust her ass to get me out, I’d be doing a whole lot more than half cracking a smile when I got the good news. Hilary Swank has a bit more passion and put’s in a performance with plenty of gusto and conviction (sorry). Her interaction and chemistry with Rockwell is spot on and they really do come across as brother and sister. Again though, her performance, while better than Rockwell, never lifts to the next level either. For me, Juliette Lewis, and she only has a smallish role, is almost unrecognisable as an alcoholic who more or less got Kenny put away. It’s just a pity she didn’t get more screen time.
It’s pacing is solid, but slow. The cast are good, but only to a point and overall the whole thing feels like it ran out of steam in the closing chapters.
For such an amazing and inspirational tale, the movie is quite average and far from inspirational. It’s a bit unmemorable to be honest. But by no means is it a disaster and It’s certainly not a life sentence to watch it, but if it had a bit more conviction, it’d be a winner.
EXTRA BIT: Tragically, the real life Kenny Waters died the same year he was released from prison. He fell off a 15 foot wall and fractured his skull and subsequently died.
