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(1 - 38) of 38 OFCS Rating: 97% Fresh Page   1   "Marston has made an amazingly lean debut feature.... But everything he trimmed wasn't fat."   Blogcritics.org   Alan Dale "Jim Denault's subtle, handheld cinematography makes clear Maria's perspective without overstating what's obvious: she's in crisis."   PopMatters   Cynthia Fuchs 72/100 "Shares the traditions of socially-conscious filmmaking of modern practitioners like Britain’s Ken Loach, with an intelligent and nuanced treatment of a challenging issue."   Apollo Guide   Dan Jardine A "Moreno gets us to root for her even though we disapprove of the illegal activity she is pursuing."   Ozus' World Movie Reviews   Dennis Schwartz 3/4 "[Director] Joshua Marston's meticulous eye for cold, hard facts on his subject matter raises Maria Full of Grace above the level of mere docudrama."   TheMovieBoy.com   Dustin Putman 4/5 "Su principal fortaleza es la convicción con que Sandino Moreno lleva el peso de toda la película (...)"   Uruguay Total   Enrique Buchichio B "It's a 'good person in a bad situation' movie, and while the grim realities of life are dealt with dramatically and capably, it is not as inspiring as perhaps it means to be."   EricDSnider.com   Eric D. Snider B+ "I was stunned by the handy and frightening way that this film brings its conflict onto our home turf."   Film Blather   Eugene Novikov A- "What's striking about 'Maria Full of Grace' is the way it manages to remain beautifully direct while generating enormous emotional impact."   One Guy's Opinion   Frank Swietek 4/5 "Maria Full of Grace contains a tour de force performance by Catalina Sandino Moreno as a courageous and adventuresome seventeen-year old Columbian."   Spirituality and Practice   Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat 2/4 "Strangely unemotional and flat for a character journey, irritatingly at its worst when it should be its most moving..."   eCinemaCenter.com   Gabe Leibowitz 4/4 "It's a brilliant motion picture, not only because of the meticulous detail used in presenting the process from start to finish, but because of the clarity with which Marston develops the characters."   ReelViews   James Berardinelli 4/4 "Catalina Sandino Moreno makes Maria into a character with whom we sympathize not because we feel sorry for her, but because we're charged by her steely determination"   Q Network Film Desk   James Kendrick 5/5 "Subtle, quiet look at a desperate journey hurts and haunts by giving us people's stories -- not a politicized slogan."   Netflix   James Rocchi 3/4 "From one part of the world to another, Maria Full of Grace swirls with movement and stirs us with its torrents of feeling."   Slant Magazine   Jay Antani 8/10 "it never quite goes where you expect it to, yet you're glued to the events all the way."   Window to the Movies   Jeffrey Chen "The film’s star, Catalina Sandino Moreno, has heavy-lidded eyes and a lovely, open face that belie Maria’s steely resolve."   Pajiba   Jeremy C. Fox 92/100 "Moreno communicates without words - she immediately sells the film, the concept, the struggle, the danger."   FilmFocus   Joe Utichi 7/10 "the filmmaker's eye and ear for authentic detail and believable characterization...make the film an unusually tough and gritty slice of underworld life."   All Movie Guide   Josh Ralske 3.5/5 "Writer/director Joshua Marston has created an almost Dickensian tale with a refreshingly empathetic protagonist."   Film-Forward.com   Kent Turner B "Marston, making his directorial debut, made some choices while creating his film that simply cannot be described more accurately than as ballsy."   FilmStew.com   Larry Carroll B+ "socks a one two punch with the breakthrough performance of lead actress Sandino Moreno...and its harrowing and tense midsection"   Reeling Reviews   Laura Clifford 3.5/5 "Moreno's subtly calibrated mix of intelligence, naivete, rebelliousness, charisma and practicality produces an unforgettable protagonist."   TV Guide's Movie Guide   Maitland McDonagh B+ "Maria Full of Grace provides an authentic and compelling view of a drug mule’s experience."   Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema   Mark Pfeiffer 3/4 "Marston's zeal in telling the story is a flaw and also a boon"   Movie Habit   Marty Mapes "[C]oncerned with laying out what is, with a clear-eyed realism that’s devastating and mesmerizing in its simple, unembellished authenticity."   Flick Filosopher   MaryAnn Johanson B+ "Belongs to Moreno."   Lessons of Darkness   Nick Schager 4/5 "Moreno é uma daquelas atrizes que prendem o olhar do espectador, que, fascinado, mal percebe o sutil trabalho de construção de personagem que está sendo desenvolvido."   Cinema em Cena   Pablo Villaca 3.5/5 "A strikingly personal story with realistic characters and a strong emotional core."   Shadows on the Wall   Rich Cline A "The story is told in a lean, clean way, with no missteps."   Laramie Movie Scope   Robert Roten B+ "it made me give up my career ambitions to become a Colombian drug mule"   Reeling Reviews   Robin Clifford 3.5/4 "Depicts potentially sensational material with intelligent restraint and gritty verisimilitude."   Reel.com   Timothy Knight 3/4 "Moreno's performance is so sure-footed and clear that it smoothes over some of the rougher patches of the piece. "   Film Freak Central   Walter Chaw "Click here to see review"   Wolf Entertainment Guide   William Wolf 7/10 Read review   Movie Gazette   Anton Bitel 8/10 Read review   JoBlo's Movie Emporium   JoBlo 3/4 Read review   Big Picture Big Sound   Joe Lozito 8/10 Read review   www.susangranger.com   Susan Granger  (1 - 38) of 38 OFCS Rating: 97% Fresh Page   1