Maria Full Of Grace ( Colombia, 2004 )

Language: Spanish
Country: Colombia\USA
Year: 2004
Starring: Catalina Sandino Moreno, Johanna Andrea Mora
Director: Joshua Marston
Genre: Drama

This is the first time FilmBulb is writing about a movie from Colombia (Of course this film includes US companies in its production). To know more about Colombia, click here. 

The movie is set in Spanish language. Maria, a young-teen girl works in a flower plantation near Bogota. Her family, especially her elder sister is depended on her salary. She becomes pregnant,  meantime she quits her job owing to a spat with her manager. While on her way to Bogota to find a job, she meets her friend Franklin who proposes her for a drug-mule job (For Indian readers- Remember the Tamil movie Ayan). He promises for big money and takes her to a drug-dealer. There she gets acquainted with Lucy, who had done the mule job twice before. Lucy prepares Maria on how to swallow the pellets using grapes. 

The day arrives to leave, their destination is New York. Maria finds Lucy and her friend Blanca on the plane as mules. Did they get past the US customs, what was their fate is the rest of the story.

Maria, Lucy and Blanca on the plane to New York

The presence of Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria is well-matched. She embodies the hesitant nature of Maria very well. Even though she emits the doubtfulness- she takes a right-move (I have to say bold move). No wonder she got nominated for Best Actress Academy Award. 

With the initial viewing, one will see this movie as a drug-trafficking film, I thought the same, but the vein of the story is people’ appetite for prosperity and freedom, which is Maria won’t get in Columbia, but she thinks she will get those in America. It is simple yet gripping tale of survival.

Youtube Trailer