Load of rubbish!!

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Since the Oscars began in 1927, there have been a total of 420 Oscar nominations in the category of Best Leading Actress. Only 12 have been awarded to actresses in works filmed in languages, other than English. Catalina Sandino Moreno, with her Oscar nomination as best actress in María Llena de Gracia (Maria Full of Grace) was the first Colombian, moreover, the first Spanish-speaking actress, no less, to receive a nomination in this category.In 1960, for the first time, two actresses received nominations in this category for roles in movies filmed other languages: Greek and Italian. Sophia Loren won the Oscar for her role in Two Women. It was the first and, so far, the only time an actress has taken home such a sought-after award for an interpretation realized in a language other than English. The list of nominees reads like a "Who's Who" of famous actresses and recognized by their talent, whose native language is not English:Melina Mercouri for Never on Sunday ('60-Greek), Sophia Loren for Marriage to 'Italian ('64), Ida Kaminska for The Shop on Main St. ('65- Czech), Anouk Aimée for Un Homme et Une Femme (So ​​Sophie Loren and Liv Ullman are the only two actresses to be nominated twice).But there is another interesting category: 19 nominations, in total, for actresses making their film debut. Most of them, like Katherine Hepburn, Julie Andrews and Barbra Striesand, went on to reach "Superstardom"! By carefully reviewing the names in the previous paragraph, you can see that all the above mentioned actresses were already well-known, with long trajectories and many previous films, when the Academy did them the honor of nominating them.Perhaps most interesting aspect of the nomination of Catalina Sandino Moreno is that, for the first time in Oscar History, the nomination for Best Actress had been given to a newcomer, for a role in a film produced in another language! (It's also the first time that the Academy named someone who performed a role in Spanish!) I hope that every Colombian felt a special pride in savoring such important news.However, at the time I thought it prudent not to get all that excited about Ms. Sandino's prospects of winning...And, of course, as it turned out...I was right! Speaking in real terms, the Academy, undoubtedly, considers the simple act of getting a nomination for a role done in another language to be such a great honor, in and of itself, that it decided it would be much better to give the Oscar to another nominee...or, at least, the lack of any other Winner in 50 years certainly gives that impression!I dare, now, offer Ms. Sandino a couple of suggestions! (Hopefully this Review will make it into your hands!) Not too many years ago, you lived your life as 99.99% of people: in total anonymity! Then, I imagine, with the release of Maria Llena Eres de Gracia, there was a dramatic change in your life. In Colombia and with all your ex-patriots, you became an extremely well-known celebrity, with job offers beginning to rain down on you!And Everything accelerated frantically on the Tuesday the Oscar nominations were announced! You must have felt as though you were living in a fish bowl! Under a microscope in front of everyone, with the number of job offers growing rapidly! My humble suggestion: That you look for roles that are totally different role, and try to seek out films that have absolutely nothing to do with drugs or crime!My additional advice ... Well, since I do not know your plans regarding the possibility of making films in English or not, nor have I had the opportunity to hear you speak in English, I do not know if you really speak "a perfect English" as you mentioned in an article written about you in TIME On-Line. What is true in Hollywood is that any actor with a foreign accent which is relatively easy to perceive does not really have many options for any important roles. (With the exception of Arnold Scharzennegger, and to a lesser extent, Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude van Damme)As an example I give you Salma Hayek. Excellent actress, with more than enough English to conduct any press conference with relative ease. But, who, since she has not yet managed to shake off a residual accent, does not seem to be offered any really good roles other than those of a Latina woman. Unfair? Of course! But it is a sad reality. In effect: If you want to work in Hollywood, hopefully, your English must actually reach a native level, or very-near native level!In closing, I have left a topic which may be somewhat difficult for many. I was going to start this review with it, but I decided not to put it first so as not to start on a negative note. As a person who truly values ​​and wants to see Colombia treated fairly on screen, obviously, I would have preferred that the central theme of MARIA been focused on something else! Unfortunately, for too many Americans, upon hearing "Colombia", DRUGS is the first thing that pops into their minds!Certainly, how much better better it would have been, if the nomination had been for a film like "La Estrategia del Caracol"! Well, at least, MARIA seemed intent on showing some of the cruel consequences suffered by some Colombians who get involved in the Drug trade in order to satisfy the seemingly insatiable appetite for illicit drugs demonstrated by people living in the U.S.A.!8*...ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!Any comments, questions or observations, in English or Español, are most welcome!.....

I am rather surprised by how many good reviews have been posted on this film. I agree that the subject matter is very compelling and important for everyone to know about; but is this a strong film? Not in my opinion.1. Maria's decisions She's a character who is fed up with her shitty boyfriend/boss; she is strong enough to leave them both. Yet she is not strong enough to stand up to her demanding sister every time she is pushed to hand over the little money that she makes? I found this to be incongruous in her character. One could claim that she cares about her family, but then one thinks about the scene near the end in which she recklessly steals the drugs and runs off, which basically means the murder of her mother, sister and sister's baby.In relation to that scene, she made an incredibly stupid/irrational move. Why did she have to take the drugs when she already had the $800 given to her, and wasn't going to get killed since she had already gotten the pills out? What was she even planning to do with them? She didn't have to run away with the drugs in the first place; she could have stayed or left without the drugs, and not put herself/her family in such a hazardous position. This uncalled for reaction strongly lessened my regard for Maria's decision-making/logic in this dangerous situation.Additionally, after she takes the drugs, she ignores her friend Blanca's advice to give back the drugs, then not long after, gives back the drugs. This scene further highlights her shifty decision- making attitude.Maria chooses to lie. She lies a lot in this film, and we see that she makes a big mistake with lying about who she is to Lucy's sister in order to have a place to sleep. That was low of her; she already had enough money to stay someplace for the night, but instead decides to take advantage of the dead girl's sister just to save some of her earnings. The moment in which Fernando, very kindly let her see him a second time without calling the police and tells her to inform Lucy's sister of the death, goes yet again undeserved by Maria as she fails to do this task as well, suddenly too weak to hurt somebody, when she already showed that she would let her family die/friend get lost in the city at nighttime. I agree with Blanca's statement that she's extremely "mentirosa", and I find her selfish as well. The only times she shows herself to be caring are with Lucy/her own baby. It's amazing how easily she can forget about all the other people in her life.2. Unrealistic parts of the film It is not realistic that Maria's family was not killed almost immediately after the drug dealers found out that the drugs were missing. Additionally, it is unbelievable that she and Blanca are not killed after calling the drug dealers and returning the pills, even getting their money back... Really? Plus, she is extremely reckless in the way she even fights with the drug dealer, screaming "Es SU responsibilidad!" In the world of drugs, there is no way Maria could have gotten so much leeway for the actions she took. She totally deserved getting screamed at in the face by the drug dealer. She was acting like she had world-class privileges, even demanding extra money from them. The story, and her life, should have ended there, if we were to be realistic.The scene in which Maria was being screened in the airport was ridiculous. I was in disbelief at how horrible her acting was as a character in that situation. Who would have believed her with her large silences, and then quick, one-word, on-the-spot responses to the policewoman? No further description, laughably unbelievable shows of denial like "No traigo nada"... She made herself extremely suspicious. It was ridiculous that she got out of there.I also found it absurd how she and her friend Blanca just split up after running away. You're in a foreign country, you don't even speak the language, and the best you can do is split up? It shows how annoying stubborn the two characters were, and how terrible their survival skills were, which makes their survival all the less believable.The scenes in which Maria is just wandering around the city - unrealistic. You've just escaped from two drug dealers. Is this the best you can to do avoid getting caught by them?I agree with some other reviewers that it felt like Maria's care for Lucy was forged so that she could have redemption at the end. I didn't see how she could feel so close to Lucy to have paid for her body and to have begun crying when Lucy's sister found out about her death (which was a scene that was very difficult to watch because you see how frustratingly incompetent Maria is - just crying immaturely and saying "Perdón" after all the horrible things she did. She couldn't spit out one thing that would have actually made sense to say in that moment). Additionally, does caring about one person whom she barely knew make her close enough to being a saint, as is alluded to in the title and the image of her in the poster? Not at all for me. Not to mention that the religious imagery and connection was weak in this film, which is disappointing when there is supposedly a pun about religion and drugs in the title itself.There were some interesting aspects to the film, such as the motorcycle/bicycle white/dark comparison, which gives some cultural understanding as to why Maria got easily led into the business. But overall, I think the film could have been done much better with a different actress and a better script.

Maria, a girl who grew up too fast. "Maria Full of Grace" is a small budget movie directed by Joshua Marston. It was filmed in Spanish but has been translated to many different languages. After watching this movie we have been informed about a huge problem that has been happening not only in Colombia but in most Latin America countries; the drug trafficking. It has been nominated for various Oscars and even won an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. This movie is about a seventeen year old girl named Maria that lives in a small village in Colombia. She is part of the low class that has an annual salary of $1,700. Maria lives with three generations; sister, sister's daughter, mother and grandmother. When she loses her job she has to take extreme measures to keep providing for her family. With her new job she travels to from her small village to the huge city of Queens in New York. Maria Alvarez, the main character, is played by Catalina Sandino Mora. She is portrayed as a sympathetic 17 year old girl that works in a flower factory. The nice, sympathetic girl is contradicted when she gets herself into all the dangers of being a drug trafficker. Catalina portrays her character in a very professional way. On the other hand, Maria's best friend, Blanca who is played by Yenny Paola Vega, did not do as good of a job. She did not show as many emotions and made the audience feel like her character was a fed up rich girl, when she was actually under the same circumstances as Maria. Guilid Lopez is also another actress who really understood her character, Lucia Díaz. Lucia made the audience feel the emotions that she was feeling and it affected how they felt towards other characters. Overall the characters were very well chosen by the director and really do a great job portraying their characters. This Colombian movie had its ups and downs. First of all the story line was very well thought out. It is said that the director, Joshua Marston, traveled to New York and to Columbia to really get a feel of what it's like in those very distinct places and to write his story line. He studied the event regarding drug trafficking in both countries which involved guerrillas, military forces, and drug traffickers. With this specific storyboard chosen, people can relate and find it interesting. Another good aspect of this movie is the great photography. For example, the bus scene with Luci and Maria. They filmed without a tripod so the camera moves with the movements of the bus. This shows the conflict that these two young women are going through. Another scene with superb photography is the scene when Maria gets back from Bogota. The more the fight increases the closer the camera gets to the actresses faces creating a more intense environment. One aspect of the movie that wasn't that impressing was the plane scene. First of all the way it was filmed was not that impressive. It did not make the audience feel the tension between the characters. From a critic's point of view, they could have included more close-ups of the facial expressions of the girls when they looked glanced back at each other or used a more creative angle when Maria was in the plane bathroom. In this specific movie, the director is trying to portray 2 specific themes. Being a drug mule or drug transporter is probably the biggest theme and is portrayed all throughout the movie. The movie shows how being a drug mule can help and destroy people's lives. First of all this job provides Maria with the money she needs to support her family but it's not an easy job. Maria has to put not only her life, but her unborn daughter's life on the edge. The other theme that strongly influences this movie is growing up. From the beginning of the book until the end, Maria makes her way from childhood to adulthood. In the beginning she is a typical teenager with typical teenage problems but because of her social class she is pressured into adult scenarios. The circumstances that she finds herself in (drugs, illegal actions, burglars) forces her to make adult-like decisions. This movie is definitely for a specific target audience. It is rated R for a reason. The content is this movie is definitely not good for anybody under the age of 14 because it contains subjects like drugs, robberies, sex scenes, etc. This movie is recommended to audiences that like to watch movies about real conflicts happening around the world and not the cliché Hollywood movie. This Colombian movie is an excellent movie overall. Like all movies it has its ups and downs but what makes it different from the rest is that is shows the world a different reality then they are used to and one that is very common in Latin America countries. Rating: 9 out of 10This was written by McKenna Foulger who is a freshman at Lincoln School, Costa Rica. She watched this movie in her film appreciation class and was given the assignment of writing a review from the perspective of a movie critic.

Drugs. Not grace. It's drugs Maria is full of, for she has just swallowed nearly 60 pellets of cocaine that are on their way to New York. But do not be fooled, because it is a choice she was compelled to make in the context of an utter lack of opportunities in her small Colombian village. As a Latin American, I was deeply affected by the crude truths that are exposed in "Maria Full of Grace" in regards to the realities of those who are desperate and poor, especially as the situation presented in the movie is a reflection of what's happening in places in nearly every developing country of the world.Maria is a seventeen year old with nearly all odds stacked against her: a woman, pregnant, and most likely of a limited education, Maria works removing thorns from roses in a working environment of mistreatment and minimum wages. When she resigns from her job because of this, she finds herself at a stalemate, for there is no way in which she can continue providing for her family of five (and soon to be of six). Thus, when she is offered $5000 for a single trip as a drug mule, it is only expectable for her to jump right at the opportunity. The story then follows Maria in her dangerous trip to New York — through ominous security measures and other even more threatening figures involved in the drug trade — in tense scenes that manage to keep the viewer at the edge of their seats during the entire film. I wouldn't doubt that even the strongest nationalist would find himself rooting for Maria in her attempts of successfully taking the drug into the borders of the United States, for her story is portrayed in a way that the viewer can sympathize with Maria and what led her to make her decisions. Part of the verisimilitude of the story presented in the film is due to the praiseworthy acting of the talented Catalina Sandino Moreno, whose skills are debuted in "Maria Full of Grace." Through her striking expressiveness, Sandino manages to successfully create the strong-willed character of Maria, demonstrating the perfect mix of desperation and determination that propels the 17 year old girl through what could be a mortal journey. Another note-worthy performance is that of Guillied Lopez, who plays Lucy Diaz, the character that initially served as a model in the drug industry for Maria. Lopez, like Sandino, projects the image of a young woman who both knows what she is doing (as she has engaged in two trips as a mule before) and doesn't (which is shown in her fear during the last trip). Yenny Paola Vega (Blanca) also made a commendable job in contrasting Maria's focused personality, in contrast to Johanna Mora's debatable performance as Maria's sister (who, in my opinion, expressed little more than a pair of angry, wide eyes).Though I must admit that this is among the first World Cinema films that I have watched, part of the reason why "Maria Full of Grace" has compelled me so much is how keenly it reflects the reality of Latin America. The Colombian culture is evident in the busy scenes shot in Bogotá and the vibrant atmosphere of the scene in which Blanca and Maria attend a party. The director Joshua Marston's sense of storytelling can be truly appreciated in the manner in which he can transform the opinion of people; amongst the group of people with which I watched this film, there was a shift in how we viewed those who engage in the drug trade. By presenting Maria's story so personally — with his predominant use of hand-held camera shots and a stunning insight on her daily difficulties — the viewer's eyes are opened into a side of the drug trafficking industry to which they would be oblivious otherwise. I believe that this is what makes a good movie, for which I am grateful to Marston. As a fellow Latin American, however, I know I don't stand alone when I say that the ending portrays the United States as the only viable option for good living (therefore painting Colombia and other Central and South American countries as hopeless). There was little opportunity for Maria back in Colombia, though, and perhaps having it end this way is meant to show the perspective and motivation of immigrants. "Maria Full of Grace" deeply affected me in the sense of how blessed I am, for the reality of Latin America that I live in is completely different to that which is presented in the movie — and neither is less real. Though of course I am conscious of the situation with the drug industry, I never quite understood why anybody would want to join any way, much less as a mule given all of the dangers involved. Upon watching this movie I felt grateful of the conditions in which I was born, but also guilty as to the lack of actual sympathizing with those who weren't as lucky. I believe that this is a valuable lesson that anybody can learn from. "Maria Full of Grace" is a movie that deals with the human cost of getting drugs in the hands of other humans, and the exploitation of a person for the economic benefit of another. It is only more impacting because of the fact that thousands of people go through this in reality, which is looming ominously in the back of the viewer's mind during the entirety of the movie. Because of this, I would recommend anyone to watch this movie, because no matter where you live, it is real and it is happening. Though it is rated R by the MPAA, young people should be exposed to this as early as possible as to open their eyes to the reality of the situation. So go watch this movie! I'd give it a 9.5 out of 10 without a doubt.