Welcome to drug day here at filmbrats. It's been a little while since I wrote something new. Below you'll find my review for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the companion piece to my review for Breakfast with Hunter, the documentary on Hunter S. Thomspson. As far as new films go, you'll see my thoughts on Maria Full of Grace if you scroll down, and also expect Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (another film with drugs as a plot-driver) and I, Robot later in the week. Don't forget to check out Joe's latest reviews as well. We're glad he's back.
Maria Full of Grace
Review by Jon Waterman
***1/2
Maria lives in Colombia where she works in a flower shop de-thorning roses. In her town, this is probably the best job one could hope for even though the bosses work them too hard. All of her money goes to supporting her family including her out of work mother and sister (complete with baby). Maria wants out. She wants out of her job and out of responsibility for others. She wants to live for herself and not for the people who take her for granted. She finds a way to escape to the United States, but it requires making a difficult choice. She has to become a mule (traffic drugs through her stomach). Is this really what she wants?
New writer/director Joshua Marston comes out in full force in this emotionally charged film. At first what’s so surprising about this film is how an older white man can write such an in depth, personal story about a 17 year-old Columbian girl’s life. However, Maria goes through very typical teenage problems in her home country that lead to such atypical actions/resolutions. The resentment she has for her family is well founded and could easily be seen in the United States as well. It’d be pretty safe to assume that some young girls also turn to drug related businesses to escape or to better provide for the family they begrudge. So, the story obviously isn’t all too far-fetched.
In fact, the emotional outbursts and arguments and general social situations seen in Columbia throughout the first half of the film are very well written. Anyone can look back at their own pubescent life and recall similar situations and form a connection with Maria’s strife. That’s what makes it so difficult to see her get involved as a mule. We don’t want her to take that dark road, because we escaped and we know she could find another way too. Who knows what’s going to happen to her.
Another great aspect of the film is that you really don’t know what’s going to happen. There may not be significant 180 degree turns in plot and storyline, but unforeseen and (more importantly) un-foreshadowed obstacles arise with regularity. Also, whereas “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” somewhat glorifies drugs and makes something of a joke out of them, “Maria” handles them realistically. The effects of drugs aren’t really the main focus of the grit, but rather the horrors associated with the business itself.
The only real downside is that Maria, played by newcomer Catalina Sandino Moreno, isn’t the best actress. She won best actress honors in Seattle’s International competition, but I found her performance to be a bit much. She’s not horrible, but she tends to overact. Only a couple of the smaller supporting characters truly seem like they’re comfortable in front of the camera and the rest don’t know what to do with themselves.
Other than the lack of appropriate body language and facial reaction subtlety, the movie is very interesting and quite gripping. It’s moving, powerful, occasionally frustrating, but ultimately cathartic. Marston avoids using clichéd devises, which make “Maria” look less like a glorified student film and more like the great professional drama it is. The cinematography and storytelling are superb. This is a very well done film that deserves to be seen.
+++++++
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Review by Jon Waterman
***
Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, a print journalist and his attorney, head to Las Vegas to cover a bike race called the Mint 400. Duke is locked and loaded with pen and paper and a suitcase full of various illegal substances. They partake in the suitcase’s offerings throughout and the race doesn’t seem to be so important anymore. Now they have to deal with everything going on around them (real and not) and find new ways to elude the cops for things they may or may not have done.
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson’s classic novel gets new life in director Terry Gilliam’s film adaptation. Gilliam is the man behind such visual feasts as “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” and “Brazil.” “Fear and Loathing” proves to be no exception. The hallucinogenic journey provides the perfect backdrop to showcase Gilliam’s style. We’re treated to myriad lighting and color schemes, which contrast various locales and assumedly follow drug use patterns. The camera work is dynamic yet hardly ever frantic. It warps what the characters see without becoming one itself.
In addition to the fantastic directing, the acting ranks right up there. Johnny Depp as Duke and Benicio Del Toro as Gonzo are both incredible. They have to show these characters trying to fit in and come off as sober citizens when around the public while still keeping the paranoia and physical and mental twitches in the background. They also have to show the drug induced emotions and reactions in full force while locked away in their hotel rooms. It’s fascinating to watch them handle what could very well have been over-the-top portrayals in a subtler yet fully effective manner.
Now, despite how well made the film is, I still couldn’t get into it. And it’s tough to figure out why. Maybe it’s because I can’t relate to the mind altered state or the desire to achieve it constantly. The movie shows these guys under the influence of something at all times. We don’t see their true selves and maybe they don’t exist. As such, there’s no comparison and nothing to identify with. The movie isn’t solely about drugs. It’s about the death of an era (set in 1971) and a lifestyle and going out on one last hoorah. The narration by Raoul, lifted from the novel, is extremely eloquent and more profound passages should have been more frequent and prominent. Overall, it’s easy to watch the two-hour trip and have fun doing it, but at no point could I immerse myself fully and be there with them.
Maria Full of Grace
Review by Jon Waterman
***1/2
Maria lives in Colombia where she works in a flower shop de-thorning roses. In her town, this is probably the best job one could hope for even though the bosses work them too hard. All of her money goes to supporting her family including her out of work mother and sister (complete with baby). Maria wants out. She wants out of her job and out of responsibility for others. She wants to live for herself and not for the people who take her for granted. She finds a way to escape to the United States, but it requires making a difficult choice. She has to become a mule (traffic drugs through her stomach). Is this really what she wants?
New writer/director Joshua Marston comes out in full force in this emotionally charged film. At first what’s so surprising about this film is how an older white man can write such an in depth, personal story about a 17 year-old Columbian girl’s life. However, Maria goes through very typical teenage problems in her home country that lead to such atypical actions/resolutions. The resentment she has for her family is well founded and could easily be seen in the United States as well. It’d be pretty safe to assume that some young girls also turn to drug related businesses to escape or to better provide for the family they begrudge. So, the story obviously isn’t all too far-fetched.
In fact, the emotional outbursts and arguments and general social situations seen in Columbia throughout the first half of the film are very well written. Anyone can look back at their own pubescent life and recall similar situations and form a connection with Maria’s strife. That’s what makes it so difficult to see her get involved as a mule. We don’t want her to take that dark road, because we escaped and we know she could find another way too. Who knows what’s going to happen to her.
Another great aspect of the film is that you really don’t know what’s going to happen. There may not be significant 180 degree turns in plot and storyline, but unforeseen and (more importantly) un-foreshadowed obstacles arise with regularity. Also, whereas “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” somewhat glorifies drugs and makes something of a joke out of them, “Maria” handles them realistically. The effects of drugs aren’t really the main focus of the grit, but rather the horrors associated with the business itself.
The only real downside is that Maria, played by newcomer Catalina Sandino Moreno, isn’t the best actress. She won best actress honors in Seattle’s International competition, but I found her performance to be a bit much. She’s not horrible, but she tends to overact. Only a couple of the smaller supporting characters truly seem like they’re comfortable in front of the camera and the rest don’t know what to do with themselves.
Other than the lack of appropriate body language and facial reaction subtlety, the movie is very interesting and quite gripping. It’s moving, powerful, occasionally frustrating, but ultimately cathartic. Marston avoids using clichéd devises, which make “Maria” look less like a glorified student film and more like the great professional drama it is. The cinematography and storytelling are superb. This is a very well done film that deserves to be seen.
+++++++
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Review by Jon Waterman
***
Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, a print journalist and his attorney, head to Las Vegas to cover a bike race called the Mint 400. Duke is locked and loaded with pen and paper and a suitcase full of various illegal substances. They partake in the suitcase’s offerings throughout and the race doesn’t seem to be so important anymore. Now they have to deal with everything going on around them (real and not) and find new ways to elude the cops for things they may or may not have done.
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson’s classic novel gets new life in director Terry Gilliam’s film adaptation. Gilliam is the man behind such visual feasts as “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” and “Brazil.” “Fear and Loathing” proves to be no exception. The hallucinogenic journey provides the perfect backdrop to showcase Gilliam’s style. We’re treated to myriad lighting and color schemes, which contrast various locales and assumedly follow drug use patterns. The camera work is dynamic yet hardly ever frantic. It warps what the characters see without becoming one itself.
In addition to the fantastic directing, the acting ranks right up there. Johnny Depp as Duke and Benicio Del Toro as Gonzo are both incredible. They have to show these characters trying to fit in and come off as sober citizens when around the public while still keeping the paranoia and physical and mental twitches in the background. They also have to show the drug induced emotions and reactions in full force while locked away in their hotel rooms. It’s fascinating to watch them handle what could very well have been over-the-top portrayals in a subtler yet fully effective manner.
Now, despite how well made the film is, I still couldn’t get into it. And it’s tough to figure out why. Maybe it’s because I can’t relate to the mind altered state or the desire to achieve it constantly. The movie shows these guys under the influence of something at all times. We don’t see their true selves and maybe they don’t exist. As such, there’s no comparison and nothing to identify with. The movie isn’t solely about drugs. It’s about the death of an era (set in 1971) and a lifestyle and going out on one last hoorah. The narration by Raoul, lifted from the novel, is extremely eloquent and more profound passages should have been more frequent and prominent. Overall, it’s easy to watch the two-hour trip and have fun doing it, but at no point could I immerse myself fully and be there with them.
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