Cell 211

Cell 211 opens with quite possibly, the single most shocking image you may see all year. While it immediately sets up tough questions and an anticipation of heavy themes for the film to follow, the film instead takes a completely different path. I was expecting a politically charged, yet intimately haunting prison drama. What I was met with was a full-on, highly commercial, yet no less smart thriller. While it slightly betrays the weighty ambitions of such a harrowing opener, it nontheless grabs your attention and draws you into proceedings straight away. Juan (Alberto Ammann) shows up a day early for his new job as prison officer to make a good impression and winds up stuck inside after a huge cell riot. Forging an unhealthy alliance with head honcho Malamadre (a fantastic Luis Tosar) he is forced to pretend he is a new inmate, while those on the outside struggle to find a way to get him out. The film carries it's fair share of contrivances in plot (why is Juan's heavily pregnant wife putting herself in danger, how does Juan keep getting away with his communications to the outside, why are the inmates so quick to initiate Juan into their cause?) which threaten to overtake proceedings and push it into dubious territory, but director Daniel Monzón manages to keep everything on the rails. In fact the film is incredibly tense for most of it's running time and keeps the audience on it's toes throughout. The film won eight Goya Awards (Spanish Oscars) upon it's release in 2009 in it's native Spain. While it is hardly ground breaking stuff, it is very well made and acted and features plenty of nail biting moments along the way. Before it's undercooked climax is abruptly reached, it has you hooked every step of the way. Alas it seems that come the end, the budget swiftly ran out, leaving the feeling of wanting so much more for it's grandiose end, that never fully arrives. Other than that, this "Die Hard" in a Prison' is fantastically engaging stuff and is already facing the inevitable Hollywood remake, just around the corner. Catch it now; Hollywood won't top this Bad Mother too easily.

Verdict: 7/10
A hair raising and frequently exciting thriller that flirts with bigger themes, but is more than content to simply be a straight forward action/prison movie. All the cast are fantastic and despite it's slightly disappointing climax, there is much here to enjoy on a Saturday night.

"Cell 211" Trailer