Juan Oliver wants to make a good impression at his new job as a prison officer and reports to work a day early, leaving his pregnant wife, Elena, at home. His destiny is forever changed by this fateful decision, as during his tour of the prison, an accident occurs that knocks him unconscious. He is rushed to the empty but visibly haunted walls of cell 211. As this diversion unfolds, inmates of the high security cell block strategically break free and hijack the penitentiary. Aware of the violence that is to come, the prison officers flee, leaving Juan stranded and unconscious in the heart of the riot. When Juan awakens, he immediately takes stock of the situation; in order to survive, he must pretend to be a prisoner. Juan develops a dialogue with the violent leader of the riot, Badass, and the two begin a partnership, Badass fully believing that Juan is a new inmate. Negotiations go smoothly until the rioters take three ETA (the militant Basque separatist organization) prisoners hostage. When this hits the news, it triggers a stream of prison riots throughout the country as well as demonstrations in the Basque Country. Juan quickly realizes that he is on his own as the situation becomes more politicized and the government gets involved, afraid of potential ramifications in the Basque community. As the drama heightens, unexpected shifts in character both within and without the prison occur.
Click here to get an e-mail alert when Celda 211 is showing in a UK cinema near you. Have you seen this film? Click here to review/comment on Celda 211.Oscar-winning Crash writer/director Paul Haggis is being tapped to forge an English-speaking remake of Spanish action flick Celda 211. A big hit in its native Spain (it scooped eight Goya Awards, or Spanish Oscars), the 2009 film has been described as a contender for Die Hard's action crown. The premise - new prison guard wakes up inside a prison gripped by a riot, has to survive - certainly chimes with that notion, and the flick's been praised for cleverly smashing together smart thriller tropes and all-out action. Haggis has just finished up work on Russell Crowe vehicle The Next Three Days, which itself is a remake of a 2007 French film. Will he take on another remake? When the material's as tantalising as Cell 211, we can't exactly blame him for being tempted. Source: www.totalfilm.com