Maria Full of Grace (2004) (AKA Maria,
Ilena eres de gracia)
It's hard not to make a joke out
of the title of the film because the titular character
isn't so much full of grace here as she is full of
cocaine - about 60 condoms full of it to be exact.
The Maria here is a disaffected youth from Columbia
who becomes a drug "mule" in order to make a lot of
money very quickly. The tag line for this film states
it is "Based on a thousand true stories," and one
feels that this statement must be true. This story
is nothing if not realistic. Sombre, harrowing, subdued
and unsettling, it seems nothing short of honest as
well. And while the story leads us down the path that
we obviously expect it to, the main character and
the young actress who embodies her makes it easy to
get captivated by the piece.
Catalina Sandino Moreno is the actress
and she is simply pitch perfect here. This is a character
of extraordinary depth and teetering emotion and Moreno
portrays her with a sense of the titular grace and
maturity. She is supported by several actors who do
laudable and wonderful work. One worthy of note is
Yenny Paola Vega as Blanca. Given a role that could
make a character seem annoying and unlikable, Vega
turns in a performance that is realistic and sympathetic.
This is some marvellous acting.
Gritty, honest, and utterly interesting,
"Maria Full of Grace" has received much praise from
critics and film festival-goers and has done quite
well this summer during a year where a glut of interesting
films have been showing at our neighborhood arthouses.
This is one highlight from recent film festivals that
deserves to be seen by a much wider audience.
Notes:
In Spanish with subtitles.
Written and directed by Joshua Martsen,
a New Yorker.
Filmed in Bogata, Columbia, Equador
and Queen, New York.
The film premiered at the Sundance
Film Festival in January, 2004.
Viewed at the Dobie in August 2004.
