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Dominican Republic · 2017
1h 48m
Director José María Cabral
Starring Jean Jean, Judith Rodríguez, Ramón Emilio Candelario, Manuel Raposo
Genre Drama
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Convicted of theft, Julián is sent to Dominican Republic's Najayo Prison. There, he quickly learns the "woodpecking" sign language used to secretly communicate with female prisoners at an adjacent facility. Without exchanging a single spoken word, Julián and fellow prisoner Yanelly find themselves falling in love.
The New York Times by Andy Webster
The lean handsomeness and quiet authority of Mr. Jean is a perfect complement to Ms. Rodríguez’s passionate Yanelly, while the locations — and the presence of actual inmates — underscore the harsh boundaries the lovers struggle against.
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. The result is a drama that, while OK, falls short of being truly memorable.
Carpinteros’ third act, as exhilarating as its build is, seems to abandon the social realism at the core of the picture, falling back on tired and true genre storytelling that feels like a mismatch between the film’s opening sequences.
The Hollywood Reporter by Jonathan Holland
Raw, intriguing and energetic despite its flaws, the film fades in dramatic power over its final stretch and doesn’t always do justice to the the potential richness of its subject, but until then, it makes for an authentic, distinctive and watchable blend of the tough and the tender.
Village Voice by Kristen Yoonsoo Kim
An uncharacteristically melodramatic final act...betrays how grounded (and true to real life) the rest of the movie is.
Screen International by Sarah Ward
A feature that might not always surprise in its story, but succeeds in its authenticity.
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