Sorry, I didn´t like it that much!

I enjoyed it. Luis Tosar did a really great performance. Good story, nice cast and a good movie. Daniel Monzón is an interesting director. Great work.
8/10.

[deleted]

[deleted]

I thought it was an excellent movie.

Powerful performances by the two lead actors.

Wished it had a happier ending, but it wasn't that kind of movie. The wife was really stupid.

To be honest, I didnt think it was that great either. It was a standard prison movie. But in a sense I felt it was kind of inauthentic. everyone on here is saying they can't believe they weren't real prisoners, but to me they looked like a bunch of actors trying too hard to look like prisoners. Going off of what theyve seen of priosn riots in American movies... throwing toilet paper etc.

I felt that the movie was almost like a B movei. I honestly think that if that movie was in america, in english no one would have thought it was all that great, but americans love to show that they like foreign films as if that makes them cultured. I think this was no better than movies like Felon that was also flawed and unrealistic to me.

There are many factors that make me think this movie was a bit lame, mostly having to do with the sudden incredibly strong friendship juan and the lead bad ass developed. It was a little strange that he would welcome someone so close the first day that they met. I mean, that was the foundation for the rest of the movie and i think it was perhaps a little forced. There were definitely some homoerotic undertones between those 2 guys too. It just didnt really seem real to me.

I also thought that hard core violence was used to make this movie seem more real dramatic than it otherwise was. Sometimes gore is used to create shock and awe and i dont think this is an exception. I will admitt (SPOILER) I was surprised when he slit the guy's throat. I know we are meant to think that in his short time in prison he has developed a prisoneres mentality in trying to fit in with them and suddenly this was the right move for him at that time, but again, forced. I mean why would they have continued to send these guys in there with no protection after the first guy was held hostage witha knife to his throat and they had already beaten another guard to death. And the whole part with the riot seemed a bit stupid to me. beating protesors with clubs?? I mean why were there so many damn people there anyway. I thought the woman getting (SPOLIER) killed in the riot was over the top too. and the fact that she was pregnant made it worse. A pregnant woman doesnt get involved with a mob scene like that. `sorry but it was a bit unrealistic for a movie that seemed to want to appear ultrarealistic.

I'm not trying to be picky. these little things weren't what ruined the movie for me. Just a general sense of inauthenticity. I do not think the acting was as good as people here are saying. I think it was ok. BUt nothing special I don't think this movie compares to the quality of OZ on HBO in any way. I think it was overly dramatized and almost felt like a lifetime movie (except for the graphic violence).

In general the movie was ok, worth a watch, but i probably won't watch it again and it didnt present anything I hadnt already seen before. It didnt have any especially redeeming qualities or any original elements.The production quality was not that great, nor was the acting. I give it 5/10.

(and all those saying this is the best spanish or foreign movie in years needs to realize that they are missing out on a lot of great foreign films from those of Haneke, von trier, roy andersson, paolo sorrentino and others before making comments like that. This is nowhere near the quality of the best europe has to offer.)