"Carandiru" is a prison flick which takes the audience behind the walls and into the halls of an over crowded, dilapidated detention facility in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Unlike the typical Hollyweird version of prison life, you'll see a panoply of unusually happy and gregarious inmates who seem to have the run of their pavilion living in sweaty cells with open doors, many of the comforts of home including surf boards, TVs, plenty of drugs, civilian clothing, etc. all seemingly coping well with prison life until the end when a riot erupts. Part of this long 2.5 hour flick centers on a physician and wanders via flashbacks into the lives of some key inmate characters showing us how they managed to end up in the joint. The balance is a tedious tale of the ups and downs of inmate life from a program to stop the spread of AIDS to a gay marriage to a stabbing to lots of small talk to the final riot, etc. Well cast and adequately shot with the real deal for the prison location, this colorful flick has it's upside. On the downside, however, budget constraints were evident in poor effects, emotional investment is difficult at best, and what story there is seems trite and lacking focus. I found myself completely bored with it at the 2 hour mark. Recommended only for those interested in prison life south of the border who don't mind subtitles. (C+)
