Maria Full of Grace is a riveting film which brings audiences into the world of drug mules who are essentially human traffickers. Maria Alvarez is a spirited 17-year-old who lives in a rural town in Colombia and earns her living by stripping thorns from the roses harvested in a rose plantation. She lives in cramped conditions with her grandmother, mother, sister and nephew who’s born out of wedlock.
One day, due to a dispute with her boss at work, Maria quits and she soon finds herself becoming a drug mule in order to earn the money she desperately needs. Following that, the audience gets to see how drug mules are made to swallow 50 – 80 pellets of drugs which are wrapped in a condom or latex glove. I found myself squirming in my seat when I watched that scene. Granted it was all acting, but still the thought of how people do this in real life grossed me out.
On arriving in New York’s JFK airport, they are then met by the traffickers who bring them to a seedy hotel where they are to remain until they pass out all the drugs. These drug mules are often given laxatives to aid the painful process of extracting the drugs.
If a condom is weak, it can burst inside the drug mule’s stomach and cause the person to die of a drug overdose. When this happens, the ruthless traffickers often cut the drug mule’s body open to extricate the drugs, after which the body is dumped. Many of these drug mules die such tragic deaths.
The cast puts up a good performance which makes the audience really feel for every one of the characters. This is especially so for the young actress who acts as Maria Alvarez. Her steely performance makes us root for the character. The film is also well paced and keeps the audience wondering what will happen to the protagonist in the end.
On reflection, it’s sad to know that many people are driven to undertake such jobs due to poverty. These drug mules are so ruthlessly treated by the traffickers and if caught by US customs, they are left to fend for themselves.
In any case, the film is worth a watch.