Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Maria Full of Grace Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 7, 2009

A 17-year old Colombian girl’s odyssey as a drug mule is the focus of attention in Joshua Marston’s award-winning “Maria Full of Grace” (2004). Yet to be released in the United States, the film has been given a solid Blu-ray treatment by UK-based distributors Icon Home Entertainment. Region-Free.

Maria Full of Grace is an unsettling film about a young Colombian girl (Catalina Sandino Moreno, Paris, je t'aime) who agrees to become a “mule” – a person who swallows carefully packaged drugs and transports them from one country to another – after she loses her job. Her decision does not come easy, but the terrible economic conditions in her home town as well as the encouraging words of a friend are enough to convince her to risk her life for a few thousand dollars.

The film is informally divided into three parts. The first one introduces us to Maria and her family. We also witness how the young girl loses her job at a local rose processing plant and then parts ways with her boyfriend; later on, her mother accuses her of being irresponsible. During a weekend celebration, we see Maria befriending a another boy, who eventually introduces her to a local drug dealer.

The second part of the film is perhaps the most intriguing one. We witness how Maria makes the decision to become a “mule” as well as her training by the drug dealers. We are also introduced to other desperate women who have agreed to become “mules”.

The third and final part of Maria Full of Grace shows how the young Colombian girl is detained and interrogated by US customs officials at Kennedy Airport. After she is released, Maria decides to stay in the US and begin a new life.

Writer/director Joshua Marston ends his commentary of Maria Full of Grace with a very interesting story. It is about a 17-year old man who saw his film in Columbia two days before he was scheduled to arrive in the US as a “mule”. Maria Full of Grace had such a profound effect on the man that he immediately pulled out of his assignment and left the drug industry.

Indeed, Maria Full of Grace is such a convincing film. It is shot as a pseudo-documentary feature where the majority of the actors look noticeably stiff in front of the camera. There is a sense of urgency in it as well, but not the artificial type that Hollywood producers like. Here, life simply happens and we get the feeling that the camera is nothing more than a casual observer.

Unlike most disturbing drug films, Maria Full of Grace does not show any graphic killings and physical degradation. It is the moral degradation in this film that horrifies. When we first see Maria, she is in love with her boyfriend; they kiss and talk about the future. Then, Maria loses her job and becomes a desperate person. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly when she ends up in the hands of the drug dealers.

This subtle relationship between faith and crime is precisely what Maria Full of Grace explores. The film allows us to understand crime before it happens; what forces ordinary people to risk their lives and become criminals. Also, unlike other similarly themed films, Maria Full of Grace succeeds in its mission because it does not attempt to distance us from the type of person Maria has become; rather, it asks that we see the world through her eyes.

Maria Full of Grace Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Joshua Marston's Maria Full of Grace arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment.

The Blu-ray transfer for this Oscar-nominated film is very pleasing. Contrast is notably strong, clarity and detail at a consistently high-level and post-production filtering not an issue of concern. A lot of the daylight scenes are also incredibly vibrant. Yellow, red, blue, green and black are the colors of importance and they certainly look very strong. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not an issue of concern either; aside from a few scenes during the second half of the film where I spotted a bit of digital noise, the rest of the presentation is about as good as I expected it to be. Finally, the actual print Icon Home Entertainment have used for their Blu-ray release is also remarkably healthy; there aren't any scratches, specks, or stains that I could detect. (Note: This is a Region-Free release which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Maria Full of Grace Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the Dolby Digital 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.

The Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track isn't overly aggressive. There is a decent amount of activity in the rear channels but nothing that will truly test your audio setup. This being said, its basics are solid – the bass is potent, the dialog crystal clear and very easy to follow, and the high-frequencies not too edgy. Leonardo Heiblum and Jacobo Lieberman's prominent soundtrack has also been given the proper amount of attention and as a result there are no balance issues between the music and the dialog that I was able to spot. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report here.

The Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 track is actually quite good. Again, the dialog is very easy to follow and there are no balance issues to report here. Nonetheless, it is easy to tell that the surround activity on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is superior. This being said, Icon Home Entertainment have provided optional English HOH subtitles for the main feature.

Maria Full of Grace Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In addition to the original theatrical trailer (presented in standard-def PAL), on this Blu-ray disc you will find a commentary by writer/director Joshua Marston where he talks about the history of Maria Full of Grace (it took approximately five years to complete this project), its message as well as the actual experience of shooting the story of Maria. The director also talks about the US-led War On Drugs and its effect on ordinary people.

Maria Full of Grace Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One of the best films to be released in 2004, Maria Full of Grace has been given a solid treatment by Icon Home Entertainment. I find it very strange that this film isn't yet available to purchase in the United States but, fortunately, the UK Blu-ray disc is Region-Free and attractively priced. I encourage you to see Maria Full of Grace if you have not yet done so.