I wasn’t quite
sure what to expect from this one, but as I’d not seen a Columbian production,
I picked it up. And I was surprised beyond my expectations.
Lucy Díaz: Two.
María Álvarez: How did it go?
Lucy Díaz: Still here.
The Rundown
Behind the name:
Original Title—María llena eres de gracia. Title is a triple entendre- Reference to Mary,
mother of Jesus, “grace” refers to slang for heroin, and may also be the name
of the character’s unborn child.
Country:
Columbia, USA, 2004
Genre:
Drama
Distributed by:
Fine Line Features
Cast: Catalina
Sandino Moreno (as María Álvarez), Virginia
Ariza (as Juana), Yenny Paola Vega (as Blanca), Guilied Lopez (as Lucy Díaz), Patricia
Rae (as Carla), Rodrigo Sánchez Borhorquez (as the supervisor), Charles Albert
Patiño (as Felipe), Wilson Guerrero (as Juan), John Álex Toro (as Franklin).
Compare
to: Traffic (2000), Sweet Sixteen
(2002), Sangre de Mi Sangre (2007)
Hate it or Love it? Love it.
Synopsis in a Sentence: A 17 year-old girl gets pregnant and is under pressure
from her family and work: she meets a guy who links her up with the drug trade,
and she tries her luck by attempting to traffic illegal drugs to the US by
swallowing pellets of drugs—how far will her luck go?
Winner of numerous
well-deserved awards, Maria Full of Grace tells
the story of an underage girl who gets involved in the drug-trade to support
her family and deal with her pregnancy. The story was so well told, and
received, that it grossed over four times its budget in the box office!
On Writing: The
Plot
A
really, really good plot. Very vivid, very interesting and insightful. The
story progresses and gets better with every minute. You feel the characters,
progress with the plot, and appreciate the narrative. It’s a really good story
very well told. *Can’t go on for risk of gushing out on the whole story. Don’t be lazy.
Watch it*
(4.5/5)
On Acting:
The Cast
A great cast. Simple, authentic and genuine.
 |
| Moreno |
 |
| Vega |
 |
| Lopez |
Catalina Sandino Moreno
plays María Álvarez as close to perfect as possible, and earned herself — one
of only 3 Hispanic actresses to achieve one — a well-deserved Oscar®
nomination in the process.
Supporting
actresses Yenny Paola Vega (Blanca) and Guilied Lopez (Lucy)
also present notable performances. A great cast of characters skillfully played
out.
(4/5)
On Production: The Creativity
A good production: simple
and stark. Its shots that relay the state of the movie and its characters quite
well.
(3.5/5)
On Resolution:
The Conclusion
The
resolution. It is one to remember. It’s a good conclusion, wrapped with
intelligence, realism, and meaning. A very good conclusion.
(4.5/5)
The Verdict:
A gut-wrenching ride. A great movie. Do see!
Overall Score
= 16.5/20
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