Petty criminal thief Julian is apprehended for motorcycle theft and thrown into the overcrowded Najayo men’s prison. There he uses sign language to communicate with his imprisoned girlfriend.
José María Cabral's arresting drama "Woodpeckers (Carpinteros)" could be called love in a pressure cooker, but that would be understating its vivid textures and palpable vitality.
The notion that male and female inmates can have relationships is utterly fascinating. It just goes to show that no matter what constraints you put on them, people will find a way.
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.
Moments are rousing - especially as Manaury starts to suspect their affair - but we're not given quite enough (particularly from the aloof Julián) for a memorable romance.
While "Carpinteros" is strong enough in atmosphere and assembly, it's limited by characters who aren't developed with great complexity, and a climax that pours on a little too much credulity-stretching hyperbole.
A lot of the time you see movie that's... compelling if not quite a triumph. That's certainly true of Carpinteros, which is interesting enough, but mostly serves as a showcase for the talents of writer/director Jose Maria Cabral and principal cast.
Writer-director Jose Maria Cabral often resorts to obvious moves while his characters lack that charisma and sometimes vibration to make this incarcerated love story work beyond a faintly enjoyable, melodramatic trifle.
