The Letter Room

Greetings again from the darkness. Richard is a prison guard whose ambitions and progressive ideas have his sights set on a promotion off the daily grind of the cold corridors ... despite an amiable personality that has him as a likable guy amongst the prison workers and the prisoners. In fact, it's that friendliness that drives the warden (Eileen Galindo) to move Richard to the mail room. She presents this as a promotion by bestowing upon him the title of Director of Prisoner Communication.

Oscar Isaac plays Richard in this Oscar nominated short film written and directed by his real life wife, Elvira Lind (BOBBI JENE, 2017). Isaac gives a strong performance and makes Richard a relatable guy - one that seems cheery enough with co-workers, while then going home to watch TV with his dog after warming up leftovers. With a new job that entails scanning incoming and outgoing mail for threats and contraband, Richard is touched by the personal love letters received by Cris (Brian Petsos), one of the death row inmates. Richard is miffed as to why Cris never responds to Rosita (the always interesting Alia Shawkat) and takes it upon himself to find out more ... and yes, this is totally outside the scope of his job.

It may seem odd for a prison to generate warm emotions, but that's part of the brilliance of Ms. Lind's excellent script. In a world where we are currently struggling to find signs of compassion and common courtesy, we watch as this prison guard tries to make things a little better ... and on top of that, interjecting subtle moments of humor add even more of a human touch, while the attention to detail takes us even deeper. This is an excellent story, and in 33 minutes, this world - quite foreign to most of us - becomes something we understand. And it's achieved through the eyes of a lonely guy just trying to do the right thing.

A beautiful short based on the life of a lonesome, corrections officer whose duty is to scan through letters written to inmates from their loved ones. The background music in very different and interesting. The short maintains a comedic tone underlying, which makes it quite likeable. It's shot so beautifully. And Oscar Issac is like always, a treat to watch on screen.

The Letter Room is a nice little short about a corrections officer who gets transferred to the prison's prisoner communications department, and how he slowly finds himself involved in the prisoners' private conversations.

The movie felt a little too long, even for a 33-minute short film, but it doesn't mean there is nothing to enjoy here. It's a very easy going film, that doesn't expect too much of the audience, and as such, rewards you with a caring story of humanness in an unlikely place.

Check it out if you can!

Oscar Isaac truly carries the soul of this film. Thought provoking through the whole run, it compels you to look further into the mind of the protagonist. The character arc that the script set out is masterfully executed, and it's a joy to watch. The direction is another highlight of this piece. Subtle, but with clear intentionality. One truly feels like they're being asked to reflect, nothing is spoon-fed.

The Letter Room is such an incredible film about a corrections officer who finds himself getting transferred to the prison letter room and getting a little too involved with a prisoner's love letters.

This is such a beautiful short film about loniness, empathy, showing kindness to those that most would call unlovable. It's a film about giving, without the expectation of getting back.

It's not laugh out loud funny, but there are moments that will make you chuckle.

It has plenty of moments of heartbreak and moments that are heart breaking.

Oscar Isaac once again takes a character and brings him to life in a way that will make you fall in love with him. He will break your heart over and over again. When does he not?

See this movie. It's dang near life changing. Itll make you think about things and ask questions that you might not have asked yourself before