User reviews

Pretty conventional story - seven fugitives and their destinies after they escape. Settled in the Argentina of 1928, which is prettily but superficially painted. The way of telling the stories is a bit "a la italiana", with too many time turns: in the jail - after the jail - in the jail - before the jail... Pretty confusing, sometimes. Music is overapplied and often disturbing (or excellent, like in the "Casta Diva"-Sequence of the unwilling murder). But all the details that make this movie "not a great one" are forgettable because of the SUPERB cast: anyone of the actors and actresses gives a socially and psychologically stunning performance, with this "surplus" of lust that reveals again, in every of its moments, that acting is a joyful kind of play and ART. It made me feel very happy when I saw it, and I retained the feeling even hours after I left the cinema. What else can you expect?

The story was inspired from a true escape which happened on March 19th, 1931 in Montevideo. A 30 feet long tunnel was dug between one restroom of the Punta Carretas national penitentiary and an abandoned coal yard at the opposite side of the street (Carbonería 'El Buen Trato'), whose owner and wife had actually moved back to Buenos Aires. Nine inmates escaped, three anarchist amongst them who were captured shortly afterwards, and returned to the prison up to 1936 then to be deported to Argentina, were there imprisoned and never seen alive again. In fact, they made use of three cars for the runaway.

Moreover, the movie has its own plausible story, and characters are competently played thanks to a team of outstanding actors. Yes, it does not develop a linear plot, but how about Tarantino or Christopher Nolan?