Maria Full of Grace (2004)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Joshua Marston

Writer (WGA):

Joshua Marston (written by)

Release Date:

2 April 2004 (Colombia)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

How far will she go before she's gone too far?

Plot:

A pregnant Colombian teenager becomes a drug mule to make some desperately needed money for her family.

Plot Keywords:

Drug Mule | Colombian | Money | Colombia | Stomach

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 30 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Catalina Sandino Moreno	...	María Álvarez
Virgina Ariza	...	Juana
Yenny Paola Vega	...	Blanca
Rodrigo Sánchez Borhorquez	...	Supervisor
Charles Albert Patiño	...	Felipe
Wilson Guerrero	...	Juan
Johanna Andrea Mora	...	Diana Álvarez
Fabricio Suarez	...	Pacho
Mateo Suarez	...	Pacho
Evangelina Morales	...	Rosita
Juana Guarderas	...	Female Pharmacist
John Álex Toro	...	Franklin (as Jhon Alex Toro)
Jaime Osorio Gómez	...	Javier (as Jaime Osorio Gomez)
Guilied Lopez	...	Lucy Díaz
Victor Macias	...	Pellet Maker

Also Known As:

Maria Full of Grace (International: English title)
Maria, llena eres de gracia (Colombia)

MPAA:

Rated R for drug content and language.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA | Colombia

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:15A | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40648)

Filming Locations:

Amaguaña, Ecuador

Company:

HBO Films

Trivia:

Catalina Sandino Moreno prepared for her role by working in a Colombian flower plantation for two weeks cutting roses. She did not meet with real drug mules because she wanted to appear to be as clueless to the process and the consequences as Maria was.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Maria gives Don Fernando the money for Lucy's family, she takes her wallet out twice.

Quotes:

María Álvarez: How many time have you done this?
Rosita: Twice.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Yo No Quiero

It's not grace she's full of...

It's COCAINE!

Small film about a big business.

Poverty, desperation and bravery spiral into a mess and culminate in pregnant 17-year-old Maria sitting in a room, trying to swallow 60 plastic capsules full of narcotics to smuggle for money. When she later on needs to swallow two more, it is a scene so painful that it is almost unbearable to watch. Maria: Full of Grace (2004) is a clear-eyed and relevant portrayal of a young girl in Columbia being exploited by the drug industry - in spite of its dark material, it projects a lot of heart and spirit.

They say that reality is often more frightening than fiction - and this is true for this film; it is so realistic and down-to-earth that it becomes harrowing in almost every scene. Catalina Sandino Moreno is fantastic as the dignified, brave Maria whose high-spirited nature propels the otherwise dark film. She is a girl who speaks little, but says so much. She knows what she needs to do, and she does it like she means business.

The above is also true for Joshua Marston's Maria: Full of Grace (2004) - it does not preach about morals; there is no melodrama, politics, sugar-coating romances or effects, but an understated yet brutal depiction of a young girl's journey in learning to cope and be responsible. Extremely well-crafted and important film that does not claim to be important, and that is endlessly refreshing.

8/10