I had thought about seeing this back at the beginning of August, but wasn't able to make it out. It was only playing at the arthouse theater which is about an hour drive for me, and was only there for about a week. It was a shame too, as I had read many good things about it. So I was happy to see it show up in the listings for a theater near where I work. This time I made a point of going to see it. And am I glad I did.
The film opens showing young women working at a flower factory picking roses, stripping the thorns, packing them for shipment to the US. We focus on one young woman in particular, Maria. We follow her home to where she has more problems there with her mother and her sister and her baby. Maria goes out with her friends and meets up with her boyfriend at a party, who is rather dismissive of her. Maria meets up with another guy there, Franklin, who offers to help her find work. He decides to take him up on the offer following her boyfriends non-reaction to her announcement of pregnancy.
The problem here is that the work to be had is as a mule. The local drug exporters use young, poor girls as a means of transportation. They swallow pellets, bags of whatever drug they are sending, then take a flight to there destination in the US where they deliver these bags. Maria sees this as a way out of Colombia to a place where she could offer her child more opportunities for a better future.
This is a dangerous journey, which she is joined on by her best friend Blanca. Also, they meet Lucy, another woman who has made previous trips using them as a way to visit her sister. Upon arriving in New York, a new set of problems arises as Maria is suspected of being a mule, but due to her pregnancy they cannot X-ray her, and subsequently let her go.
She runs into other problems with Blanca, with the drug dealers in New York, until she meets with Lucy's sister. This brings another aspect of pain to the film. But despite all of this, the film maintains a hope for the future, best shown in a late segment showing Maria walking past a sign that says "It's What's Inside You That Counts," a not so subtle reference to the life she is carrying and the brighter future he/she has compared to the troubled young life of Maria.
It is a wonderful film. It is firmly grounded in the real life troubles these girls face, it never feels like it is stretching the reality of the situation. We see the characters going through their everyday lives making real decisions with their real consequences. A film that is always interesting and never resorts to chases or guns, it presents us with a situation that the majority of those who see the film will never encounter.
The bright spot here is Catalina Sandino Moreno, who stars as Maria. She has great screen presence, a fire burns behind her eyes that brings real life to the character. A first time actress with amazing ability. The rest of the cast is also excellent. The film was cast with mostly unknowns acting for the first time, probably a good way to go. In films such as this and I'm Not Scared, it is more involving with unknowns as your actors, playing real roles.
Directed and written by Joshua Marston, a first time American filmmaker. He brings an almost documentary style to the work, increasing the sense of urgency behind our stars desire to leave. He has written a strong story with strong characters that are firmly grounded in the real world. He has given us an important film and one of the better films I have seen this year.
Highly Recommended.
0 comments:
Post a Comment