GREAT MOVIE. It is not about hollywood with its special effects, it is about the colombian situation face to face, no lies, no imaginary stories, people with no money that would do anything for a better future. Victims....

Haunting, wholly involving, remarkably draws you in and never lets go.

Superb! Moreno, as Maria, is a true star, and this movie is thrilling from the very beginning to the end. Harrowing throuighout, but ultimately uplifting, this is the best movie of the year.

It was such a wrong thought to have, but when Lucy (Giulied Lopez) prepared Maria (Catalina Sandino Moreno) for drug muling by swallowing grapes, it reminded me of the cafeteria scene with Phoebe Cates and Jennifer Jason-Leigh in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". However, if Maria was desperate enough to smuggle drugs, she likewise might've gone into prostitution, but as it happened, a drug dealer got to her before the pimp. So maybe it's wasn't an overactive imagination that led me to see the Amy Heckerling film being faintly referred to. "Maria Full of Grace" isn't billed as a thriller, but name me a film with a more suspenseful sequence than Maria's plane trip and interrogation at the airport. If she settles down in America, Maria will surely be "Somebody's Baby", because, as remarked earlier in the film by the man who recruits her; she's too pretty to be a housecleaner, and it goes without saying, that Maria is too pretty to be "Somebody's Mule". … Expand

"Maria Full of Grace" is a beautifully written and directed film from Joshua Marston. Filmed in Colombia and the United States, the acting by Catalina Sandira Moreno is more than good, it is outstanding. This is a young actress who dominates the screen by the simple movement of her eyes, her hair, her every nuance and is able to communicates a depth of feeling most actors twice her age could not. This is a film that gives great insight into the lives of those who emigrate to this country and helps you to understand why they are willing to be separated from their families in other lands, not just for a better economic way of life, but for a better life in general. A film you will remember for a long, long time and a truly wonderful theatrical experience, I join so many others who found this moving to be a really high cut above the rest. It earns and deserves 3 and ½ stars. Do your good taste a favor and see it. … Expand

In what should be an Oscar-nominated turn, Catalina Sandino Moreno gives a heart-breakingly powerful performance as a Colombian mule. The film is disturbing, yes, brimming with drama and the horror of Maria's plight. It also makes a pointed statement about drugs and their inherent effect on poverty. "Maria Full of Grace" is easily the best Latin American film of 2004, and an outstanding example of "reality cinema".… Expand

The story keeps you up! the intensity never made anyone wink. yet heartwheming and sentitive.

This is a well made movie for sure, with a lot of excellent work in it. But ultimately, I have to ask, for what? While I'm gald to see a movie that isn't trying to be mindless entertainment, if it is not going to be entertaining, then I want a movie to be meaningful. Unless you were considering a career as a drug mule or wondered why more people don't do it, I don't think this movie has much to say. I didn't come away feeling like I'd been on a journey worth the effort.… Expand

A good movie, but not a masterpiece! It certainly doesn't warrant so many ratings in the 8-10 out of 10 range. A simple and dramatic story, good portrayal of a teenager balancing a need to escape and climb to a better life, with a need to make a series of unethical choices in order to do this. References to Roman Catholicism can be found in the background, but these religious allusions were only shallowly developed. The fact that abortion was never contemplated (while organized cocaine smuggling was) may also reflect a catholic influence. Yet the story is satisfying and the movie is definitely worth seeing. … Expand

Excellent acting. Moving.

The best movie I have seen in a very long time. I found it amazing how it was solely the dialogue and the situation that it was occuring in was what moved me the most. Every single facet of this movie deserves all the praise it recieves. Many movies attempt to capture realism, and fail, but Maria Full of Grace is able to do it effortlessly without imbellishing any kind of circumstance or character. I was very pleased with this movie and reccommend it highly.… Expand

It was great!

Brilliant on every level.

Not a "thriller" in the traditinoal genre sense, yet Maria's journey had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

Great, captivating.

This movie was as real as it gets. The negative forces is what drives this movie, but Catalina Sandino Moreno put on an academy award performance. She is riveting in her portral of Maria. I saw this movie on a Friday night and it is still with me on Monday morning. If you haven't seen this movie, please, please go see it. The screenwriting was excellent. This deserves to win more than one award.… Expand

Very authentic and moving story, about a young Colombian girl that decides to become a mule. Being that I'm from a place very close to Colombia, I was very pleased at the autheticity of the movie. Colombians are Colombians, with their accents and figures of speech, this might seem like a minor point, but a lot of movies tend to blend accents in the wrong way. The actress who plays "Maria" does an excellent job, and the scene at the airport is a great example of creating tension in a movie in a quiet way. The only complaint I would have about the movie is the title. It's a bit misleading since the religious tones are barely touched at all. The title just seems to have been chosen because it sounds pretty good, but that's almost about it. Great movie, highly recommended.… Expand

Stunning.

Catalina Sandino Moreno is full of grace. The plot is predictable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing - it's also wholly believeable. Thank goodness the director had the sense to step out of the way and let his actors do the work. If you're highly opinionated on the U.S.'s "war on drugs," you need to see this movie - whatever your stance.

Elegant, no corny dramatic hype or gratuitous violence, very very realistic, human, suspenseful and moving. A must see.

Very authentic and moving. It is a very realistic movie with a very remarkable role for Maria. She's great.

Not exactly the "feel good" movie of the year, but definitely worth seeing. Strong acting performances by most. And like "Dirty Pretty Things", it's a plot dealing with the underbelly of our society that most of us never see.

I fail to see where all of the high praise for this movie comes from. This movie is not about the desperate acts of a struggling young woman living in an oppressive, hopeless situation whose only chance at freedom is to smuggle drugs. Rather, the main character is just a typical whining, self-absorbed teenager who undertakes a drastically unnecessary and melodramatic mission to free herself the "hardships" of teenage boys, a job that sucks, and a loving family that doesn't always put her needs first. I kept expecting her to throw a temper tantrum, stamp her feet, and scream "No one understands me! My life is so horrible! It's so UNFAIR!" At one point, she actually storms into her room (yes, she has her own room!) and slams the door. The only desperate situations that the characters find themselves are manufactured by their own bad decisions. It's extremely disappointing, because the story that the movie was TRYING to tell (the story of good people all but forced into a horrible situation) is a real drama that happens every day. This movie insults those people.… Expand

An absolutely mesmerizing ride of human tribulation. Moreno's eyes, carrying more expression than perhaps any other actress working today, carry an attached grief, never ceasing to amaze the audience or allowing maria to totally enthrall them. For her subtlety, and her utterly potent expression, this is the finest performance I have witnessed by an actress this year. For her truth to character and the heart that the audience so clearly could recognize that lies in the story and Maria herself, this is one of the finest films I have seen in a long time.… Expand

I'll second what most of the '8's have said, but deduct for being a little bit bored with the pacing ; it was so very even that I felt I had seen it while mildy drugged. Maybe this was intentional, connecting us to the same sense of confusion and ennui that Maria is feeling. It was honest, unpretentious, and absorbing, but I think some of the priase I've read, such as 'astonishing', and 'breathtaking' are a bit over the top. If it doesn't follow a slick Hollywood formula it isn't necessarily the ground-breaking film we've waited a lifetime for either (I call this the 'Sideways' syndrome). In the end I felt that I had traveled to another place for 101 minutes - that's always nice.… Expand

I had high hopes for this film. I am Colombian, and thought this would somehow show the problematic of the "mules." However I was disapointed. I think the movie is very vague, and there are a lot of things that are left unexplained. The movie is just about the need of some people of my country, and shows how far some of them would go. But the whole drugs problem is not as simple and soft like this. Things are far worse than what we see on this movie, and Maria is somehow justified for what she did. Most of the "mules" are tricked, and most of the time, they are sent with the intent to make them get caught, so that the others that are already established can pass more easily. Also I wanted to see more how the same goverments and police from both countries are part of this issue. The only good thing about this movie is the actors,, which make a great job, but the movie lack a lot of content.… Expand

One of the best movies I've ever seen.

Simply stunning ~ the cinema coming out of the lower Americas is packing more of an emotional punch that anything Hollywood can cook up.

Be sure to watch it a second time with the Director's Commentary. One of the very best I've ever heard.

sorry, but I didn't think it was very good. Acting was great, but the film was... boring? Everyone is saying this movie was shocking and disturbing, but it wasn't. Raw? sure. But in this case, raw means boring. Maybe I am too desensitized by similar fare such as Requiem for a Dream and Trainspotting. Compared to those two movies, this movie falls quite flat. Sorry, but I just didn't think it was very good… Expand

This was one of the best movies I ever sw in all my life it's great.

Excellent acting by lead actress-someone to watch in the future-compassionate movie.