''Release'' is a 2010 British film starring

Daniel Brocklebank Daniel Brocklebank (born 21 December 1979) is a British actor, best known for portraying the roles of Ivan Jones in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2005–2006), and Billy Mayhew in ITV's other long-running soap ''Coronation Street'' (2014 ...

, Garry Summers, Bernie Hodges and Wayne Virgo. The film was written and directed by Darren Flaxstone and Christian Martin.

Plot

Father Jack Gillie enters prison a guilty man, convicted for a crime that sees the Church abandon him, his congregation desert him and his faith challenged. His fellow inmates believe he's been convicted of

pedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty ...

and begin to plant the seed of doubt into the mind of his teenage cellmate, Rook. After rescuing Rook from a beating Jack now becomes the inmates prey. Protection comes in the unlikely form of a prison officer, Martin with whom Jack falls in love and together they embark on a dangerous and illicit affair behind cell doors. As trust forms between the two men so Jack feels enabled to confess the truth behind the crime for which he has been imprisoned. Emboldened by Jack's honesty the two men plan their lives together post Jack's release. Prison gang leader Max, however has ulterior objections and sets about ruining this relationship and manipulates the Governess, Heather, into suspending Martin for misconduct after disclosing the affair. Alone and vulnerable Jack is now tormented and hunted by Max who takes revenge on him for his crime. Waking from the near fatal actions of Max, Jack keeps his head down and bides his time comforted by letters of love and support from Martin - delivered with disgust and loathing by one of Martin's colleagues. With the end of his sentence in sight Jack readies himself for a new life and a new beginning with Martin. The only obstacle to this remains Max and Father Elliott the Church's messenger sent to establish what Jack's intentions are once free. Before Jack walks out of prison, Rook, who is high on substance given by Max, stabs him in the chest, using a sharpened wooden cross.

Cast

as Father Jack Gille *Garry Summers as Martin Crane *Bernie Hodges as Max *Wayne Virgo as Rook *Dymphna Skehill as Heather * Oliver Park as prisoner

Release

''Release'' was released in 2010 and had played at LGBT film festivals worldwide including: Sydney Mardi Gras,

Melbourne Queer Film Festival The Melbourne Queer Film Festival is an annual LGBT film festival held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Held in November, the festival is regarded as the largest queer film event in the Southern Hemisphere. The festival attracts around 23,00 ...

, Vertzaubert Queer Film Festival, Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and Philadelphia QFest.

Reception

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website

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the film has a score of 14% based on reviews from 7 critics, with an

average rating In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 ...

of 3.9/10. Jeannette Catsoulis of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' described ''Release'' as "a predictable yet poetic reflection on faith, hypocrisy and the weight of conscience".

References

External links

* British drama films 2010s English-language films 2010 LGBT-related films British LGBT-related films LGBT-related drama films British prison films 2010s British films {{2010s-UK-film-stub