by Tim Webb

Created on: February 04, 2011

When I first saw that Nicholas Cage was in this film, I wasn't actually too sure as to what my reaction would be. After all his appearance throughout the majority of the film is white vest, long hair with stubble. Not really your run of the mill character that Cage usually plays in fact the film isn’t run of the mill at all and I can easily see why the film is held with great esteem in some camps. The

story is quite simple to start with and the first 15 minutes of the film deals with the character of Cameron Poe imprisoned for killing a person who was attacking his wife outside the bar where she works. At the time Poe is a soldier who had just returned home, this works against him as the Court decides that being trained to a high level meant that killing would be the only outcome. While in prison Poe trains and writes to his daughter who he has never seen, when his sentence is complete he is placed on an aeroplane to be taken home, the only problem is that the plane contains a glitterati of high security prisoners being moved about the prison system who have the idea of freedom on their minds and aren’t really bothered about the man returning to his family. Poe has to step in as he has the most to lose from this and could easily go back to where he started on another sentence.

The whole idea of a prisoner who accepts he is wrong and therefore does his time is good; this tells the audience who that person actually is. Being placed in a plane with others who are intent on changing the rules to their favour causes a problem and means that Poe is in the wrong place at the wrong time and because of this he has to play both sides, although doing this for himself for survival against the odds rather than to assist the ringleader.

Cage excels in the part; he looks totally different in appearance and has a focus that easily comes through on screen. Cage has given Poe a slight country twang that is easily noticeable throughout the film, and as this is a Jerry Bruckheimer production means that the story is full on as is the characters are fleshed out and the action sequences. Backing Cage up is a strong cast that includes Ving Rhames, John Malkovich, and Steve Buscemi with Poe getting assistance from John Cusack. Malkovich going completely over the top as the ring leader that due to the script is identified as the originator of the chaos in the early part of the film anyway, and even though the character is given a fair amount of screen time Malkovich as serial

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