The performance of Elias Koteas as real life Montreal reporter Victor Malarek is a star making part that would probably be more remembered had the script of the film not been often very confusing with the structural issues. He's a tough mail room clerk whose desire to become a journalist has him ending up a witness to a brutal shooting of an escapee from the same juvenile detention center that he was once incarcerated in. The unjust shooting of the teen (who didn't have a weapon on him) has Malarek out to expose corruption in the legal system, something that gets him into a lot of trouble, and ultimately a media superstar.
Had the structure of the film been a bit more coherent and less trapped in a non-linear way, this film really could have beeb a masterpiece. This is brutally violent in spots, starting with the shooting and continuing with abuse from Malarek's father towards his mother. He takes in one of the surviving escapees, which leads to more violence, shockingly so, and it's obvious that there is great corruption revealed here about the legal system, including juveniles which needed to be overhauled. Koteas is magnetic on screen, his rage volcanic in nature, yet bringing on much empathy for his situation. A very good supporting cast and excellent production values keeps the viewer interested even if the script is off the map as far as how it all flows.
Had the structure of the film been a bit more coherent and less trapped in a non-linear way, this film really could have beeb a masterpiece. This is brutally violent in spots, starting with the shooting and continuing with abuse from Malarek's father towards his mother. He takes in one of the surviving escapees, which leads to more violence, shockingly so, and it's obvious that there is great corruption revealed here about the legal system, including juveniles which needed to be overhauled. Koteas is magnetic on screen, his rage volcanic in nature, yet bringing on much empathy for his situation. A very good supporting cast and excellent production values keeps the viewer interested even if the script is off the map as far as how it all flows.