Writer: Jon Kauffman, Chris Cummings (Screenplay)
Starring: Alexander Dreymon, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Erik LaRay Harvey, Cedric Young, Wayne David Parker
Plot: A rogue love story centered on a female correctional officer whose life is turned upside down by the fleeting affections of her lover – a male convict whose charm is only as genuine as his desire to be free.
Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Strong Performances
Story: Heartlock starts when Lee Haze (Dreymon) is looking for a way out of prison, he has always kept himself to himself and he looks towards Continental (Harvey) who controls the prison from the inside to help him, which sees Lee turning towards rookie correctional officer Tera Sharpe (Brandt).
As the two get closer, Lee looks to risk it all to get out, while Tera knows the consequences if she gets too close to an inmate, left with the two needing to decide what to do next.
Thoughts on Heartlock
Characters – Lee Haze has been in prison for years now, waiting for his chance to be back together with his partner, only to find his letters returned to him, wanting to escape, he turns to try and turn on of the guards to help him escape, only can thing left to ask, is whether he can get away with it. Tera Sharpe is the correctional officers that is following in her father’s footsteps, she is struggling outside the job with her father, while slowly starting to fall for Lee. Continental runs the prison from the inside, he has guards in his pockets, who will do anything for him, running a drug trade from the inside.
Performances – Alexander Dreymon in the leading role does reflect the confliction he is going through to get out of jail. Lesley-Ann Brandt does show us the difficulties of seeing a family member struggling with their health, showing that life isn’t going her way. Erik LaRay Harvey does show the confidence for a man that is in complete control of the situation he finds himself in.
Story – The story here follows a prisoner who is looking to escape by getting closer to a corrections guard, but finds himself getting too close and not wanting to see her life ruined for his own personal gain. Here we get to focus on the problems you could face by trying to risk everything for freedom, from either behind bars or from one’s own life. It shows how easily prison guards could become corrupt without finding an option to escape. It has the message about taking responsibility for your actions coming through strong here.
Crime/Romance – We are set in a prison, that does show us the criminal actions still being committed by the prisoners, which gets caught up in a romance between an inmate and one of the guards.
Settings – The film does use the prison setting to not only show us how Lee has no escape, but outside of this world, we see how Tera is in her own prison, trying to protect her father.
Scene of the Movie – Tell the truth.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Tera does seem to change her mind about Lee way too quickly.
Final Thoughts – This is a nice romance about how you could find love from someone you didn’t know at the wrong time in life, leading you to make decision which will only cause more problems.
Overall: Nice Romance.