Maria Full of Grace 3 stars Fine Line Features/HBO Films R, 101 m with Catalina Sandino Moreno and John Alex Toro. Written and directed by Joshua Marsten.
At the very least, "Maria Full of Grace" is educational. At its best, the film is like its main character - fresh, riveting and strong.
"Maria Full of Grace" marks the notable film debut of writer and director Joshua Marsten and actress Catalina Sandino Moreno, 23, who played the main character, Maria Alvarez, a 17-year-old girl from a small town in Colombia.
From the opening scenes, Maria's independent spirit is evident in the way she proves to be more daring than her immature boyfriend, outwardly angry with her mother and sister for taking her wages, and rebellious against her boss at the plantation where she de-thorns roses. It is also obvious that these elements are stifling her.
While praying the "Hail Mary" people say, "the Lord is with" Mary (Maria). Yet before long, Maria seems to be without any kind of heavenly atmosphere or divine guidance. Unlike the biblical Mary, a pregnancy for Maria causes her to lose her job, which ultimately seems to lead her to hell on earth.
When her boyfriend ignores her at a street party, Maria dances with another young man, Franklin, played by Colombian actor John Alex Toro. Later, Franklin provides escape for Maria as he speeds her over hilly roads on his motorcycle. Yet soon after, Maria learns he can provide another kind of escape - he can make her a "mule," a living container for transporting heroin to the United States.
Watching Maria swallow (and later, re-swallow) the 10-gram pellets of heroin wrapped in rubber is enough to some viewers' gag reflexes react. Later, the tension Moreno and the other "mules" feel during their flight to Newark is transferred to viewers, watching nervously from movie theater seats.
When part of the delivery is met with tragedy, the ease with which Maria and the others were to make their fortunes is shattered and Maria's character is challenged to adapt and reevaluate her choices, just as Moreno is challenged to portray the hardship realistically.
Moreno performs beautifully, with incredible depth and maturity for a person so young and new to the business. She tied with Charlize Theron for Best Actress at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival, a title she deserves. She truly makes her mark on this film and will hopefully be courted by many studios with talented directors in the future.
However, a great part of her success must also be credited to Marsten. The film could have been so melodramatic or so graphic, but instead of intriguing audiences with images to make them cringe, he allows Moreno and the other actresses to pull them in with their own emotion. Perhaps this is part of what earned the film the Audience Award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. However, although "Maria Full of Grace" is very well done, Marsten's inexperience is sometimes apparent, as there are holes in the beginning of the plot; a convincing motive for Maria, a headstrong, yet intelligent girl, to take part in the drug transfer.
Still, except for minor slips, "Maria Full of Grace," tagged as "based on 1,000 true stories" truly shines with the light of Moreno's and Marsten's talent.
