First of all, there's Oscar Isaac, and... isn't that enough for a review? What else am I going to say? "Hello, Cleveland!" No. This should suffice. That and his mustache. Maybe we should all just be thankful he wasn't cast as Superman a few years back.
Ok, a little more. This is largely driven by Isaac, a star-actor who has the charisma and of a Harrison Ford, being an inherently captivating presence who understands how to draw out behavior and a psychological depth and nuance through just a look or a series of furrowed brows next to that epic stache. But it's furthermore a fairly unique set up and pay off for a story set in prison, in particular death row, and how this officer gets drawn in to this one couple's melancholy and seemingly distressing circumstance is dramatic gold to me. It's always good for me if there's a story where you have a character learning about another without them knowing - voyeurism 101, yeah, of course - but through it being in letters and how the information is doled out alongside direction that means to express that aloneness and genuine want (or even need) to help someone is quite moving. And if you were somehow ever wondering, Alia Shawcat is a devastating dramatic performer and gives her all to a character in just two scenes.
This should get the Oscar (oh hey pun intended I guess?) Not even for the star power but because it combines all that cinema can do in a brief time to leave the greatest impact (White Tiger is a pretty close second IMO).
