In one way, I hate to downgrade this film because it does have a message it is trying to get out, and there are so few films about African American women. I also understand the director is an African American woman. However, the truth is, this film is not very well done at all.<br /><br />What they wanted to convey was the conditions for women in prisons. What came across, however, was that only African American women are in prisons (the very few white women seen, had non-speaking roles and were just blurry extras in the background). They also wanted to indicate that the working conditions in prisons are terrible, again, they failed to truly show this--instead it came across as if the prisoners felt they shouldn't have to work at all, that they should just be allowed to loll about entertaining themselves all day.<br /><br />I never did get all the women characters straightened out as to who was who and who did what. We don't get enough time with each woman to get to know her that well.<br /><br />All the guards and the Warden are the mean, bad guys, except for the one new guard, Michael. The actor playing Michael was a very poor choice for the role. Michael is supposed to be a college student, studying to be a lawyer, the actor who played him, keeps his head down and mumbles his lines in a way that gives the impression he has no self-confidence at all.<br /><br />The plot, such as it is, concerns the women being ill-treated by the Captain of the guards who demands sexual favors of them while man-handling them brutally. Also the plot concerns them doing sewing in what is supposed to be sweat shop conditions for virtually no pay, while the man who re-sells the items is making a big profit.<br /><br />Can the women get the truth out there, is the plot question.<br /><br />Meanwhile we see some woman on woman fighting, some stabbing, and some time spent in solitary.<br /><br />All of the women have children and miss their children, and of course they have been imprisoned unfairly and that sort of thing.<br /><br />Unfortunately there are no love affairs or sex between the female prisoners, which would have added some realism and interest to the story.<br /><br />3 stars out of 10