294. A Prayer Before Dawn; movie review

A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN
Cert 18
112 mins
BBFC advice: Contains sexual violence, strong bloody violence, drugs misuse

It is nearly 30 years ago since I was at the centre of reportage about young people famously locked up in a Bangkok jail for handling drugs.
I was on the newsdesk of the Birmingham Mail when the story broke about Karen Smith and Patricia Cahill being arrested in Thailand.
It became one of the big issues of its day. Eventually both women were freed and I occasionally wonder what happened to them.
Nowadays, news of young people being held in hellish jails doesn't hit the headlines with such force - largely, because it is relatively common and the public are not turned on to low-grade criminals.
So, I must admit I had not come across the case of Billy Moore whose story is dramatised in Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's A Prayer Before Dawn.
Joe Cole gives every ounce of effort to portraying Moore, a low-at-heel boxer who was locked up in Thailand for drug dealing.
Almost the entire film is based in a jail where Moore witnessed graphic cruelty and while understanding little of the Thai language spoken by prisoners and guards.
A Prayer Before Dawn is a brutal movie with relentless violence which made me wince several times. and, physically, Cole could not give any more to the role.
I found his portrayal of boxer Moore totally convincing - however, A Prayer Before Dawn is so relentless that I became anaesthetised to the barbarity.
And because only Cole speaks better than pidgin English there is very little chance for character exploration.
Why was he in Thailand and why was he estranged from his family?
We will never know.

Reasons to watch: Joe Cole gives everything to the portrayal of Billy Moore
Reasons to avoid: Some of the violence is stomach-churning

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 6.5/10

Director quote - Jean-Stephane Sauvaire: "I met Billy in Liverpool in Liverpool, England, where he lives. I found him really interesting. It's a guy of Liverpool, he has something rather violent in him and at the same time he's sensitive. He has a double personality - a facet which was interesting for a character of a movie."

The big question - Is the Bangkok Hilton still as barbaric?

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