Woodpeckers

Name: Woodpeckers
Genre: Drama
Released: September 15, 2017
Duration: 106 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Aleja Johnson, Cape Ramírez, Carlota Carretero, Fernando De Jesús Mejía, Gilberto Hernandez

2017

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Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Critic Reviews

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Woodpeckers

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Movie Details & Credits

Strand Releasing | Release Date: September 15, 2017 | Not Rated

Starring: Aleja Johnson, Cape Ramírez, Carlota Carretero, Fernando De Jesús Mejía, Gilberto Hernandez, Jean Jean, Jose Cruz, Mario Nunez, Orestes Amador, Ramón Emilio Candelario

Summary: Dreadlocked and handsome Dominican-Haitian Julián (Jean Jean) begins a jail sentence for petty theft inside the notorious Najayo prison just outside Santo Domingo. While navigating the indignities, corruption and everyday violence from both guards and fellow inmates, he becomes immersed in the system of Woodpecking, the unique sign languageDreadlocked and handsome Dominican-Haitian Julián (Jean Jean) begins a jail sentence for petty theft inside the notorious Najayo prison just outside Santo Domingo. While navigating the indignities, corruption and everyday violence from both guards and fellow inmates, he becomes immersed in the system of Woodpecking, the unique sign language the male prisoners use to communicate with women in the adjacent penitentiary just over 400 feet away. Standing in windows or out in prison yards, love - and heated liaisons - blossom. Julián's entanglement with one female inmate, Yanelly (Judith Rodriguez Perez), is the fuse that ignites the events of Woodpeckers, which was shot on location at the actual prison using real inmates for all but the lead roles.… Expand

Director: José María Cabral

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 106 min

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Critic Reviews

Andy Webster

Sep 14, 2017

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. Read full review

The Film Stage John Fink

Sep 14, 2017

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. Read full review

Sarah Ward

Sep 14, 2017

A feature that might not always surprise in its story, but succeeds in its authenticity. Read full review

Jonathan Holland

Sep 14, 2017

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. Read full review

Kristen Yoonsoo Kim

Sep 14, 2017

An uncharacteristically melodramatic final act...betrays how grounded (and true to real life) the rest of the movie is. Read full review

Dennis Harvey

Sep 14, 2017

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. Read full review

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