Celda 211 2009

John Hartl, Seattle Times: It's the kind of gutsy, physical performance that wins Academy Awards for Daniel Day-Lewis, but Ammann is just as impressive as a man who must suddenly test his limits and values. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: What this movie lacks in plausibility (which is almost everything), it makes up for with authentic adrenaline -- and Spanish Goya Awards (it won eight this year). Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Celda 211 (Cell 211) requires you to look past a couple of contrivances in order to enjoy its main scenario: How quickly can the ruinous nature of prison life corrupt an innocent, moral man? Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: From Spanish director Daniel Monzon, this is a white-hot prison drama with a Byzantine plot and enough gore to make Reservoir Dogs look like a petting zoo. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: Just be sure to up your internal disbelief setting from 'suspended' to 'nonexistent'. Read more

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: It's a cut above the usual penal picture, intelligent with sharply drawn, memorable characters, a storyline suffused with tension and unexpected turns, and a morass of moral quandaries that could lead the most innocent into irretrievable darkness. Read more

Jonathan Holland, Variety: Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: Nearly every minute throbs with heart-pounding suspense, from the opening scene of a prisoner slashing his wrists with a razor blade fashioned from a cigarette filter to its mournful, blood-soaked conclusion. Read more