Maria Full of Grace
By: Patrick Vu | Category: DVD Archive | 03/14/05 | 12:06 AM
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Grade: A | Genre:
Foreign Drama
Summary: "Maria Full of Grace" is a stunning portrayal of a young girl's desperate efforts to hold everything together as it all falls apart. Catalina Sandino Moreno is mesmerizing in her debut as Maria and gives the character the strength and "Grace" she deserves. |
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 Starring: Catalina Sandino Moreno, Yenny Paola Vega, Guilied Lopez, Patricia Rae, and John Alex Toro
Director: Joshua Marston
A Columbian Mule is a drug smuggler trained in various transport methods such as swallowing illegal substances wrapped in rubber balloons the size of large grapes. Mules must swallow dozens at a time without chewing, enter foreign soil, and pass the balloons through their systems in order to retrieve them. It's a risky profession that can yield huge lumps of cash, but is it worth the consequences?
Maria (Morena) is a 17-year-old Columbian teenager dealing with more responsibility than she can handle. She must help to provide for her financially unstable family as her mother is unable to do it alone. However, Maria just quit her dead end job and has now discovered that she is pregnant.
In order to contribute her "share" of the monthly income, she meets Franklin (Toro) who offers to introduce her to the business. Desperate to make ends meet, she reluctantly accepts, and can only look forward because she will be leaving everything else behind.
Maria is set up with a passport and travel documents as she prepares for her trip to the drop point in New Jersey. She befriends Lucy (Lopez), another mule, who helps to acquaint her with the darker side of the work. "It's not that hard," she says "but it's not that easy either." From this point on, Maria throws herself into her new job and is left to always look over her shoulders. Once she reaches New Jersey, everything unravels and Maria is faced with life and death decisions that not only affect herself, but can also affect her family back in Columbia.
In a time when decadent lifestyles are romanticized and craved, a film like "Maria Full of Grace" shuns pop cultural ideals and shows us how far someone will go to better her life...not materially but emotionally. Maria's journey from an immature girl to a strong and independent woman may leave a bitter taste in our mouths as it will surely make us appreciate the things we may already take for granted.
Director Joshua Marston gives us an intimate look into the lifestyles of Columbian Mules. It's a stunning portrayal of a young girl's desperate efforts to hold everything together as it all falls apart. Catalina Sandino Moreno is mesmerizing in her debut as Maria and gives the character the strength and "Grace" she deserves. This is a standout performance worthy of all the praise.
BUY or RENT now and drop us a comment below telling us what you think.
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