Cell 211

This is a great movie mainly for two reasons:

1. The script is not a typical Hollywood storyline. It's very realistic and powerful.

2. The performances of all actors are superb. In contrast to Hollywood movies, the actors in this movie are not models who decided to move to the film business but real actors.

Fortunately, there are still cinema people who do not see movies as commercial products for sale with the purpose of bringing enormous profit to the producers but rather works of art. There is still hope for cinema.

Guerricaechevarria does it again, writing a brutal story of loyalty, friendship and guts.

The acting is great, well directed and well filmed. The characters are extremely real and believable.

In the end, everyone shows it's real face. Ethics and Character are put in a first plane, leaving uniforms, social class, education and every possible label behind. For some, it's every man for itself, and for others, it's justice or death.

This movie is extremely violent but not at a physical level, and delivers pure emotions throughout it's whole plot. It'll keep you at the edge of your seat for two hours, and leave you thinking about it for days.

Good movie, well worth seeing.

Great idea for a movie, apparently the Yanks are going to remake it.

I think that will be good too, if they polish this movie up well, it will be even better.

New scariest movie prison dude ever in the halfwit enforcer.

Fair bit of action, pretty tense at times, even the wife or girlfriend will enjoy it as it's very easy to follow, even with the subtitles.

Not for kids, but there is nothing in here teenagers haven't seen before.

Got to fill in some more lines ffs. Is that enough?

This movie likens that of a gemstone- raw, real, unique, crafty and incomparable. I watched this movie, my first Spanish movie in cinema, with English subtitles and frankly, i was impressed. Though now the only regret i have is not mastering the language before the show. If only i could pay more attention to the movie instead of the translated words running at the bottom.

This is a story of a prison guard, Juan Oliver (played by Alberto A) who decided to go to work one day before he actually begins to 'make an impression'. What awaits him later is a riot, which forced him to be locked in Cell 211 after suffering an injury to his head. He knows the only way to live is to be one of them, and so he acted as an inmate. But until when can he keep it to himself? He has to make peace with the rest of the inmates and gain the trust of their 'leader' Malamadre (played by Luis Tosar) as they take hostage of high profile, terrorist-prisoners. He later learns an ugly news of his pregnant wife outside prison and his life is never the same again.

This movie plays around the humanity of man and how corruption and distrust can affect a man's freedom and ultimately, his life. There were moments in the show. Obviously, the prison riot. The police riot scene later was well delivered straight to its core, which led to the falling domino pieces in the movie. The turning point of Juan's character was when he received the news about his wife. Fine acting by all the cast with amazing characterization, awesome cinematography and directing at every scene!

The development of the plot is great, at points where it creates suspense left me on the edge of my seat. The blossoming relationship between Juan and Malamadre is well crafted, and believable- that i don't see in many other movies these days. It felt like Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Walking out the cinema, i was left to ponder at many questions with respect to the show. Why was Juan left in Cell 211 at the first place? As if a curse is cast to the cell. It will be interesting to watch the Hollywood remake of the movie in two years time and i hope it does remain to its authenticity. Definitely award-worthy, it accentuates prison drama at its best- pulling heartstrings despite its violence and vulgar language.

My cinematic experience has truly broadened. And i am sure yours will too after watching this movie.

Cell 211 is an interesting prison drama with some strong performances and plenty of tense moments. The story centers around Jaun, a prison guard visiting his new place of employment who is unfortunate enough to find himself caught in the middle of a prison riot. An unfortunate turn of events leads to Juan being locked inside the jail with the inmates. He quickly realises it's adapt or die, and assumes the identity of a prisoner to ensure his own survival. The film has some very good performances and like many gritty prison dramas, come excessive violence that'll have you wincing away. The early themes of the film revolve around loyalty and earning respect, bit deeper into the film it becomes more about survival. Juan is put into situations where it appears no-one is on his side and taking matters into his own hands seems to be the only way out. There were times during the film when i thought i could predict exactly how Cell 211 was going to play out. Having seen my share of prison themed dramas over the years, it's all to easy to see where a film might lead in the final third. I'm happy to say that Cell 211 set itself up in what i thought was a predictable way, but that in the end, and to it's credit, i was surprised by how it played out. A strong film with commanding performances. 8/10