Maria full of Grace

Review

Maria full of Grace is a foreign film with impact. The story revolves around the life of Maria and the choices she makes. The most significant choice she makes is when she decides to become involved in the Columbian drug trafficking business as a drug mule. It does not glamourise drugs but does show the drug mules perspective and how easily it could be to get trapped in the drug trafficking situation.

It is important to note the different relationships Maria has with her sister, Blanca, Lucy and Carla as each of those relationships have an underlying effect on Maria when she decides her own fate and the fate of her unborn child. The differences between the life in Columbia and New York are evident without the storyline emphasing them.

It is a slow movie that must be watched with sub titles.

Rating :4/5

Post movie discussion
I found it intersting to see the differences between Maria and Blanca. Maria was not prepared to live the life her sister does and had a strength to change. In contrast Blanca didn't seem to ever challenge the system in Columbia or be concerned about her role as a drug mule. I found the lack of emotion Maria, Blanca and Lucy had about the entire drug trafficking situation unreal to me, but maybe it is their culture. The movie didn't portray Marias rise to grace to me, I felt there were more selfish reasons for her choices. The reason I believe this is is because Maria never seemed concerned about the safety of her family in Columbia and the result of her rebellion on them, but rather her own needs.