Gripping and heart-stoppingly real!
Catherine Russell | New York | 10/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was totally bowled over by this film. It takes you into a very different reality, without sensationalising the very dark world of prison life.
From the writer's talent for getting inside so many diverse psyches to the wonder of seeing D.L. Hughley transition so beautifully into a dramatic role......this is a must-see!"
Good
(Mr.) N. Sean Wright | Whiteville, NC USA | 09/26/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Although it's pretty hard to imagine
Hughly in a serious dramatic role,
he actually does a good job.
I really didn't expect very much
when I rented this film, but I'm
proud to say that I was wrong.
This is an enjoyable view inside
the life of fallen educator and
his subsequent attempts to rebuild
his life and that of his inmate students.
The parallels between Hughly and
his troubled prized pupil, Gabriel,
is the main theme of the film.
The ending is tragic, but the story
is entertaining and heartwarming.
Hughly occasionally reverts back
to the comic that we know and love,
but he manages to pull off a convincing
dramatic portrayal."
Life In Question
Tristan M. Armstrong | La Crosse, WI USA | 09/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With Oscar winning performances on well structured writing, Shackles is a must see! Is not each one of our lives lived in the frame-work of a question?"