Cell 211 (2009) Celda 211 (original title)

Celda 211 has a very intriguing premise where the "soon to be a prison guard" Juan Oliver (Alberto Ammann) has to pretend being an inmate in order to survive all the chaos after the prisoners take over the facility. We feel that director Daniel Monzón is concerned in creating a nervous atmosphere during the whole film and he achieves that objective effectively. I found very interesting how a person could change her personality and reality in extreme situations. Differently from similar films in the prison break genre, this one had some nice twists and a great script. The director brilliantly captures the strange friendship between Juan and Malamadre, the leader of the rebellion, which is constantly developing.

As for the acting, it's impressive how Alberto Ammann portrays his character and you can really identify with him and all the emotions that emerges with his dangerous position. Luis Tosar, who plays Malamadre, also gives a fantastic performance as a disturbed, proud, threatening, but loyal to his friends prisoner. The rest of the cast does a tremendous job too!

In conclusion, Celda 211 is a creative and highly original film about the thin line between who really are the good and the bad guys in a prison territory with rebellion. I forgot to say it's also an action packed film until the end, which is very realistic. Supported by a terrific cast, solid direction and a great script, Celda 211 is an involving film that leaves us thinking about its moral values and deserved all the awards it got.

Detail / Info

Genre : Action, Thriller
Duration : 110 min
Release Date : 06 Nov 2009
Rating : 7.7
Writer : Jorge Guerricaechevarría (adaptation), Daniel Monzón (adaptation), Francisco Pérez Gandul (novel)
Director : Daniel Monzón
Company : Sofica Europacorp
Movie Casts :
Luis Tosar as Malamadre, Alberto Ammann as Juan Oliver,Antonio Resines as José Utrilla, Carlos Bardem as Apache, Félix Cubero asGermán, Marta Etura as Elena