www.mariafullofgrace.com
Dir: Joshua Marston
Cast: Catalina Sandino Moreno, Yenny Paola Vega, John Alex Toro, Guilied Lopez
She becomes drug mule
swallows sixty-two pellets
but will she get caught?
The film follows the story of Maria (Moreno) a young factory worker in a dead-end job, obliged to provide for her family. She gets pregnant by her loser boyfriend who she doesn't really love and dreams of a better life. Then she meets Franklin (Toro) who offers her a way out - by working as a drug mule, traffiking between Colombia and New York. We're presented with a stark, non-judgemental view of the drug smuggling industry as Maria makes her first run along with her naive best friend (Vega) and new acquaintance Lucy (Lopez). Needless to say, the run doesn't go smoothly and we then follow the girls as they have to deal with the consequences of their actions. Maria Full Of Grace is a thought-provoking piece of work and a great debut from American director Marston. He creates great tension from the story, especially in the scene when the girls are aboard the plane en route to New York, unsure what fate has in store for them. However the real star of the movie is newcomer Moreno, who as Maria Full Of Drugs is truly exceptional and fully deserves her Oscar nomination. She glides through the film like an angel and you really find yourself supporting her character and applauding the choices that she makes to improve her life. It's such a strong performance that I'd recommend seeing this film for that reason alone.
soulmining rating ****
No comments:
Post a Comment