7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
A bright, spirited 17-year-old, Maria Alvarez, lives with three generations of her family in a cramped house in rural Colombia and works stripping thorns from flowers in a rose plantation. The offer of a lucrative job involving travel--in fact, becoming a drug "mule"--changes the course of her life. Far from the uneventful trip she is promised, Maria is transported into the risky and ruthless world of international drug trafficking. Her mission becomes one of determination and survival and she finally emerges with the grace that will carry her forward into a new life.
Starring: Catalina Sandino Moreno, Yenny Paola Vega, Jhon Alex Toro, Guilied Lopez, Patricia RaeForeign | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
The Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is 48kHz/16-bit; Spanish (Latin American), with portions in English.
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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