First off, let me say that this film could possibly contain Kevin Bacon's finest acting hour. You honestly find yourself forgetting that it's Kevin Bacon on the screen, and believe he is Henri Young, tortured and victimized by Alcatraz's cruel warden, played by the also impressive Gary Oldman. Also, the cinematography is absolutely breathtaking, with the smokey aura of the prison just oozing menace and the long, swirling takes of the courtroom scenes pulling you into the story like you were a fly buzzing around the room. But that's where my kudos end. Christian Slater, bless his heart, is trying so hard to keep up with the likes of his much more talented co-stars, and ends up coming off as flat and lifeless (although his ending speech in the courtroom is pretty convincing). The film takes a major blow to the gut, though, when one finds out that, even though the beginning of the film will lead you to believe that this is "based on a true story", most of this never happened the way it's being portrayed. Henri Young didn't die on Alcatraz, didn't steal $5.00 for his sister, was actually a bank robber and a murderer, and eventually got transferred to another prison and released on parole in 1972. But holy crap, it sure makes for an entertaining film.