Ghosted

Prison Drama

Britain

Revolver Entertainment

R2 DVD

The British excel at prison films and this one is no exception. It is violent, full of nasty people and even the prison warders are not the best. There may be some hope there but the environment and inmates of a prison will crush it.

Jack is serving out his time, keeping his head down, and looking forward to his release in a few months. On the anniversary of his son’s death in a fire he learns that his wife has a new boyfriend and no longer wants anything to do with him. One of his friends, Ahmed, counsels him that if he can’t change what has happened to him in the outside world perhaps he should look for something worthy to do while still inside. Jack takes the advice and befriends Paul, a young prisoner who has just been “ghosted” in from another prison and doesn’t know the setup here. Paul has been taken under the wing of Clay, a vicious thug who runs all the minor prison rackets with the connivance of the chief warder. Clay keeps the prison inmates quiet and the warder lets him get away with his petty crimes and standover tactics.

Clay rapes Paul in the showers. At this point Jack sees a worthy cause in saving Paul. He steps in and has Paul moved to his cell. This, of course, does not please Clay. Jack has made an enemy. In a bit of gang violence possibly instigated by Ahmed one of Clay’s enforcers is knifed. He is “ghosted” out, just disappears to another prison, and Clay’s power is now under threat. Clay’s onetime friend, the warder, punishes Clay for disturbing the quiet prison by putting him in solitary for a while. Clay has to do something to retain his influence. He and his remaining enforcer knife Jack in the leg. Although Jack could kill Clay it is better to accept the punishment and keep the status quo – after all, he will be out of prison soon.

The knifing makes a hero out of Jack. Paul is becoming friendlier, and he gets more friends when it is found that he is a magnificent sketch artist who can draw sketches of the cons from memory. With this added respect Paul is once again a threat to Clay. One of his sycophants remembers Paul from a previous prison. Paul was “ghosted” out for his own safety. He suggests to Clay that Paul is hiding something. Clay twists this and uses it to reduce the trust between Jack and Paul. The two eventually confess to each other what they did to be imprisoned and Jack finds their lives have crossed before. He reacts with uncharacteristic violence.

Director Craig Viveiros has worked in different facets of the film industry for some years and his experience shows in this film, even though it is his first full length feature. It is tightly filmed, fast moving and human. It is violent but the violence is appropriate for the subject – he doesn’t glorify the violence for the sake of blood and gore. He has chosen a range of good, experienced actors. I particularly enjoyed seeing Art Malik once again as the quiet, wise Ahmed. I last saw him in True Lies as the slightly incompetent terrorist Aziz. Martin Compston as Paul plays the naïve young prisoner well, but it’s the demented-looking Craig Parkinson as Clay who is the strong point around which the story revolves. By contrast, John Lynch as Jack plays a strong part as a man who is being propelled by events away from his release. His life is now under the influence of others and it threatens his previous good record as well as his life. We are left wondering where he will end up and if he is strong enough to bear it.

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