Writer-director José Maria Cabral lets dialogue and visuals win over plot and character in his tale of love behind bars in the Dominican Republic, but his casting, setting, and medium-shot storytelling are so good that it almost doesn't matter. So yeah, it's not entirely clear why new fish Julian (Jean Jean) falls so hard for Yanelly (Judith Rodriguez Perez), the girl in the prison next door to whom he is supposed to deliver messages for block boss Manuary (Ramón Emilio Candelario). Or why she falls so hard for him. It's not even clear how he becomes so proficient in the homemade sign language used on both sides of the exchange. What is clear is that Julian's life as a low-level operator isn't going especially well, that Yanelly has no patience for infidelity, and that the hot-tempered Manuary isn't averse to violence. Various agents of the Lord assist Julian on his difficult quest for love, but it turns out the devil may cite scripture for his own purpose. Cabral's depiction of prison society feels measured and just: there is no pretending that it isn't awful, but nor is there a denial of basic human feeling. (2017) — Matthew Lickona
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