Filmmaker Daniel Monzón's volatile Spanish thriller, about a young guard who must pose as an inmate when he's caught in the midst of a prison riot, is a gripping combination of intelligent plot, visceral storytelling, layers of political complexity, and, at its center, an unlikely buddy tale. Alberto Ammann is Juan Oliver, who on the day before he's scheduled to start work is being taken for a tour of the facility when an accident knocks him unconscious. He awakens to chaos, and realizes his only hope for survival is to blend in with the rioters—among them, Malamadre (Luis Tosar), the dangerous but principled lifer who leads the revolt to make legitimate grievances against a corrupt system. The script makes the most of unexpected (but completely believable) turns in the standoff and the pressure-cooker tension among the violent criminals barely keeping it together on the inside. A cell of political prisoners adds more gunpowder to a situation that's one spark away from blowing up. Some of the details will be lost on American audiences, but the effects are easy enough to follow, and the larger context of Juan's loving relationship with his pregnant wife (Marta Etura) lends even greater urgency to the outcome. Winner of eight Goya awards in Spain, including Best Film and Best Director, Cell 211 has already been optioned for a Hollywood remake, which should raise the interest level in the original. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette (27 min.) and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a winning foreign film.] (S. Axmaker)
Cell 211
Zeitgeist, 111 min., in Spanish w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.99, Aug. 30 Volume 26, Issue 6
Cell 211
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