| Value for Money | 10/10 |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 10/10 |
Full review by
Cult Fiction
expert review 
on 15th May 2007
User Rating : 10
Respect :
0
Good Points: An astonishing tale, portraying the extent of how far a young Colombian women will go to support her family.
Bad Points: The disturbing point of this film is that many of the events that occur actually do happen in real life. As the title says, based on 1000 true stories. When your life is filled with poverty and you have no family to listen to you, no job to support you, no faith to turn to - your life becomes devoid of all meaning.
General comments: Maria Alvarez is a young teenage women who works in a rose plantation factory on the outskirts of Bogota Colombia. She is finding her work uninspiring and her family somewhat demanding. All her wages are spent on supporting her mother, sister and child. The claustrophobic living conditions are a real test of her commitments towards her job, her family and her boyfriend.
After finding out she is pregnant, and going through the symptoms of early morning sickness at work. Her line manager refuses to let her go to the bathroom. Maria quits her job, which causes a huge unrest with her family - as they now have no income to support them.
After rejecting her boyfriends drunken escapades at a Latin street party, she meets a pleasant man who can offer her work in the capital Bogota. Maria accepts the lucrative proposal to transport packets of Cocaine to the United States - which at first she must swallow into her body. The drug cartel sit and watch her swallow 62 packets of the drug, they explain to her the risks associated: Firstly, if one of those packets breaks inside her she will be dead. Secondly, if one of those packets goes missing, they will pay her family a visit.
This film portrays the ruthless world of international drug trafficking, with some shocking results. I have only briefly detailed the opening accounts, as to continue would ruin this film for your viewing pleasure.
This is a Spanish language film, however it is possible to find a copy with subtitles from most UK stores - HMV, Virgin Megastore etc. You could even try the foreign film section in your local DVD rent shop, as I'm sure they would most definitely have it, taking into account its Oscar nominations for best foreign films etc.
Cult Fiction's review and ratings | 377 words
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