Maria Full of Grace

Critics Consensus

In a striking debut, Moreno carries the movie and puts a human face on the drug trade.

97%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 144

87%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 39,710
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Movie Info

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.

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Cast

Catalina Sandino Moreno
as Maria
Yenny Paola Vega
as Blanca
Virginia Ariza
Virgina Ariza
as Juana
Johanna Andrea Mora
as Diana
Wilson Guerrero
as Juan
John Álex Toro
as Franklin
Guilied Lopez
as Lucy
Patricia Rae
as Carla
Fernando Joel Velasquez
as Pablo
Orlando Tobon
as Don Fernando
Jaime Osorio Gomez
as Javier
Mateo Suarez
as Baby Pancho
Fabricio Suarez
as Baby Pancho
Juana Guarderas
as Female Pharmacist
Rodrigo Sanchez Borhorquez
as Supervisor
Charles Albert Patino
as Felipe
Evangelina Morales
as Rosita
Victor Macias
as Pellet Maker
Hugo Ferro
as Pharmacist
Ana Maria Acosta
as Stewardess
Ada Vergara De Solano
as Carolina
Maria Consuelo Perez
as Constanza
Eddie Trucco
as Customs Inspector
Ed Trucco
as Customs Inspector
Selenis Leyva
as Customs Inspector
Juan Porras Hincapie
as Wilson
Oscar Bejarano
as Carlos
Singkhan Bandit
as Gas Attendant
Patrick Rameau
as Taxi Driver
Monique Gabriela Curnen
as Receptionist
Lourdes Martin
as Doctor
Osvaldo Plasencia
as Enrique
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Critic Reviews for Maria Full of Grace

All Critics (144) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (139) | Rotten (5)

  • The movie puts us in Maria's shoes, taking us step by suspenseful step through her physical and spiritual ordeal.

    Mar 13, 2018 | Full Review…

    David Ansen

    Newsweek
    Top Critic

  • Marston's compact, personal film doesn't judge his Maria, it merely observes her, explains her and humanizes a dark corner of a dirty business.

    Sep 3, 2004 | Rating: 4/5

    Roger Moore

    Orlando Sentinel
    Top Critic

  • The fact that [Moreno's] Maria is so believable, so compelling, rests entirely on what she brings to the part, not what the part brings to her. Her face is the kind that can carry a movie on the strength of sheer screen presence.

    Aug 26, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/5

    Richard Nilsen

    Arizona Republic
    Top Critic

  • One of those films that finds strength in its directness, that passes up the fireworks and cheap tricks and just goes straight for the starkness of a powerful situation.

    Aug 6, 2004 | Rating: B

    Tom Long

    Detroit News
    Top Critic

  • One of the emblematic migration stories of our time.

    Aug 1, 2004

    David Denby

    New Yorker
    Top Critic

  • A stunner of a film.

    Jul 30, 2004 | Full Review…

    Desson Thomson

    Washington Post
    Top Critic
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Audience Reviews for Maria Full of Grace

  • Jan 16, 2012
    Heartbreaking when one thinks that this story is surely carried out on a weekly if not a daily basis. The drug mule carries the holy treasure within their own bodies with fear of being consumed by those drugs or facing legal penalties in the unexpecting importing country. A great tale.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • Mar 30, 2010
    Imagine facing a choice that could release you from the struggles of being poor. Would you take that risk if it meant ruining your life or the lives of family and friends around you? There are many people who are faced with that problem every day. The fact that people are willing to subject themselves to smuggle drugs in their own bodies for money really indicates the state of desperation in poor countries. This film gives us insight into the life of a 17 year-old girl, about the choices she's faced with. I think watching this film might give you a sympathetic understanding of the impoverished and a greater appreciation, it did for me. Catalino Sandino Moreno gives an outstanding performance. Maria Full of Grace is a serious but engaging film that shows the endless world struggle of the poor who want and try to get out of their desperate and imprisoning lives. Story: A Acting: A Direction: A Visuals: A Overall: A **** out of 4 stars
    Matthew R Super Reviewer
  • Sep 19, 2009
    Such a good movie. It was pretty sad, but it told a good story.
    Erin C Super Reviewer
  • Jul 04, 2009
    This is a gritty movie that should make you question America's drug policies, when you see their effects on the most powerless, the mules.
    Juli R Super Reviewer
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