The Last Castle

The Last Castle is the story of a highly decorated and respected U.S. army general who on his last mission disobeys a direct order, getting eight of his men killed. Though his intentions are noble (he is the good guy, after all) he is sent to a military prison, run, as American prisons are, by a corrupt and power-hungry man - the contemptible Colonel Winter. Initially, General Irwin is determined to serve out his time quietly, but when he witnesses the subtle brutality the warden resorts to in controlling the prisoners and sees an inmate killed 'accidentally' by the marksmen who guard the prison perimeter, he decides to take action.

Starring as General Irwin is none other than Robert Redford, who, at the respectable age of 65, may appear to be slightly past his sell-by date. As students, however, we learn that sell-by dates can safely be ignored - it won't taste bad, just different. And sure enough, Redford has not lost his talents yet, delivering a great performance as the righteous military veteran who will not stand idly by whilst a great injustice is being committed. James Gandolfini also proves his talents in the role as the corrupt prison ward, managing perfectly to portray the image of a man immersed so deeply in his own lies and justifications that he acts without scruples or conscience.

The other inmates are equally well-cast, and Mark Ruffalo in particular is good as the opportunistic, self-serving Yates. Similarly, Steve Burton does well as Captain Perez, Winter's right-hand-man who obeys his orders even when he knows they are morally questionable. The Last Castle may appear to be your basic prison movie, tackling the morals of injustice taking place at the cornerstone of the criminal justice system. However, the movie is more than that, largely due to Redford's performance as General Irwin and the subtle insights on life in the military he offers. The plot is also not as predictable as one might fear, making this a modern reinvention of many a classic, culminating in great entertainment.

Martin Aspeli