Cell 211 (2009)

Good concept, poorly executed.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Cell 211 has some refreshingly genuine unexpected twists and developments that keep you pretty much hooked, from its opening scene to its conclusion. Seen it 5 years back. Saw it again last week. The action starts immediately and the characters are build through out the movie. There are a few flashbacks. Luis Tosar (Sleep tight, Miami vice) as the leading prisoner is just amazing, his voice is so deep. The lead actor Alberto Ammann acted well. This thriller is so intense, but without blood or extremely violent scenes. It has good dialogs, non predictable climax, its actually quite different. The whole movie is intense, there is no time for to be bored. The acting is good, direction by Daniel Monzón (The Kovak Box) is good, editing was perfect.

This is a very well done prison movie and although they had a low budget, they managed to pull off a memorable movie. It kinda reminded me of the movie "Felon" which is also a great prison movie. I like these kind of stories where the protagonist is caught up in a situation way beyond what he is prepared for even if it's by accident (as long as it has a good enough script). And this movie flourishes in so many manners, it's not a entirely believable movie and some parts psychologically doesn't make a lot of sense. But it's still enthralling and enthralling from start to finish, and you can tell despite the low budget they did the best with what they had. The plot is about when a prison riot starts and things just go haywire, but one of the inmates is actually a prison officer that gets caught in all the chaos. And needs to act and prove he is one of the inmates in order to survive. This story and direction is actually quite intriguing because I heard stories to people trying to act crazy and sadistic or keep up a front in order to survive in the prison environment. And it's just cool to see how a inmate does the things he does in order to prove he is one of them. The acting is also good for the most part and when it comes to the plot, it makes twist and turns that I just didn't really see coming. Especially the climax, it's actually quite different from most Hollywood movies. A bit more intensity, chemistry, development between the two main characters and if it was a bit more cleverly crafted this would have been one of the best prison movies out there. Sure it borrows certain elements from other prison movies, but it has far enough originality that makes it really stand out from the rest. My only main complaint is the parts with the protagonist and his wife drama (it just isn't done very well and seems to drag when it comes to the momentum of this story). This is still a enthralling and for the most part entertaining prison movie that keeps building when it comes to it's momentum until the unexpected climax.8/10

Set in a Spanish prison. A riot breaks out, leaving a new guard on the inside where all the action is. His quick thinking to pretend to be a new prisoner saves his life for now... But the mayhem is only just beginning.The two main players, Malamadre (Luis Tosar) as the top dog inmate and Juan (Alberto Ammann) as the young newbie guard act their parts extremely well. The other prisoners and guards are also believable. Prison is definitely not somewhere I want to go! The movie is raw and realistic with the different fractions within the prison jostling for their position. The guards may not be any better than the prisoners. But it's also a movie about love, friendship and loyalty. Don't let the fact it's subtitled put you off. You won't even realise your reading it and will be gripped to your seat for two hours. You don't need megabucks of special effects and well known actors to have a great movie. Just a good story well acted. Any Hollywood remake is not going to be nearly as good as the original. So don't miss this one.

I can't believe that so few people have mentioned the links of this plot with the real life chaos and savagery that occurred back in 1971 in Attica.Maybe it has just been too long,but you only have to click through you tube to find actual footage recorded,especially that of the government forces storming the prison,full of a few extremists but largely hungry,tired and scared prisoners.They shot tear gas into the yard and the term 'spray and pray' comes to mind.The prisoners had a few home made shanks;any weaponry they had accrued from officers were empty and used only as a 'blunt instrument' with which to bludgeon other prisoners.There was clearly very little resistance;certainly not ample to warrant the warfare that was inflicted upon them that day,killing tens of largely innocent men and several officers as there was no way that anyone could have seen anything amidst the foggy haze of tear gas.If you watch 'Cell 211' ,it is clear to see that even the lay out of the prison is similar.I am no expert but this is an opportunity for everyone to see the similarities and the men who fell at Attica should be remembered and 'honoured' to a degree.Of course,initially there were ridiculous demands but towards the end of the stand off,it should be noted that the men inside were asking mostly for simple human rights to be respected and to not be humiliated and undermined at every opportunity.I also think that the events at Attica made a significant difference in how modern prisons are run,in terms of allowing those simple human rights to be respected whilst also increasing safety measures for correctional officers. Disregarding this obvious homage,it is a wildly fantastic film.The kind of film that will remain timeless and set standards for time to come.Incredible acting,producing and editing.I love this film-just love it.