The Last Castle (2001)
Robert Redford in prison? Oh no! In The Last Castle, he’s a decorated soldier sent to prison for disobeying an order, and he clashes immediately with the strict prison warden, James Gandolfini. While some have compared this movie to The Shawshank Redemption, I’d recommend you put the iconic classic out of your mind while watching this one. There are a couple of similar themes, but they’re really not the same movie.
I’m not really a James Gandolfini fan; he always seems like he’s about to break character and start laughing. In a very tense drama, it’s not optimal for the bad guy to always appear to be on the verge of cracking up. But, Robert Redford is the lead, and he makes up for it. He’s always trustworthy and likable, so the audience immediately sides with him as he adjusts to prison life and sticks up for the poor treatment of his fellow prisoners.
The prison brutality is a little upsetting, but it’s pretty tame compared to other films in its genre. Mostly, you’re going to cringe and whine because you don’t want to see Robert Redford get punished. If the cast was different, the movie wouldn’t be nearly as suspenseful. And, while I didn’t like the ending, it’s not the worst movie you could sit through, especially if you want to see a young Mark Ruffalo.
More Robert Redford movies here!
I’m not really a James Gandolfini fan; he always seems like he’s about to break character and start laughing. In a very tense drama, it’s not optimal for the bad guy to always appear to be on the verge of cracking up. But, Robert Redford is the lead, and he makes up for it. He’s always trustworthy and likable, so the audience immediately sides with him as he adjusts to prison life and sticks up for the poor treatment of his fellow prisoners.
The prison brutality is a little upsetting, but it’s pretty tame compared to other films in its genre. Mostly, you’re going to cringe and whine because you don’t want to see Robert Redford get punished. If the cast was different, the movie wouldn’t be nearly as suspenseful. And, while I didn’t like the ending, it’s not the worst movie you could sit through, especially if you want to see a young Mark Ruffalo.
More Robert Redford movies here!