It upsets me when I see a well-crafted film like this getting mediocre ratings (even if it is a "weighted average" on IMDb). As I write this most people who have voted have given Maria Full of Grace a "7" or higher. I was so engrossed by Maria's story and the acting that went into it that, at times, I felt as if I was watching a documentary. (I also had that feeling watching "City of God"). The Audience Award at Sundance was obviously well deserved. Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria) gives the type of performance that should make a lot of directors take note. And the story itself makes you to pause to consider the reasons why some people are involved in the drug trade. See this film!

"Maria Full of Grace" tells the tale of an impoverished 17 year old Colombian who becomes pregnant and, in need of money, signs on as a drug "mule", smuggling cocaine pellets into the US in her GI tract. An exceptional film for a low budget one man band indie with a deubting artist in the leading role, this film imparts a strong sense of been-there-done-that reality as it follows Maria from Bogota to New York where her life begins to unravel. Unusually well managed without being junked up with the usual Hollywood tawdry tinsel and situational extremes, this very human drama does more pound-for-pound than most films many times its size. Kudos to auteur Marston and company and ingenue Moreno for this interesting and enjoyable drama. (B+)

While we have usually seen an image of Colombia as the country where cocaine reigns supreme. "Maria Full of Grace" shows something slightly different. While drugs do play a role, we get to see people's daily lives and see that individuals do try to live normal lives in spite of the country's drug wars. The plot has pregnant 17-year-old Maria Alvarez (Catalina Sandino Moreno) agreeing to be a "mule", carrying drug pellets in her stomach. She does this, but things don't work out quite as anyone expects.

I'm sure that most people in Colombia are not dealing drugs; the revolutionary groups and the government have been fighting each other since 1964, and both sides target the common citizens. But like I said, this movie shows the lives of the common people in Colombia. And not that this is related, but Catalina Sandino Moreno is really pretty.