DEVASTATING DEPICTION OF ONE WOMAN'S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
December 4, 2025
DIRECTOR PIERRE SAINT MARTIN CASTELLANOS HAS SUCCEEDED IN TAKING US INTO THE WORLD OF A WOMAN WHO SE TRAUMA OVER THE MURDER OF HER BROTHER HAS AFFECTED HER FOR HER ENTIRE LIFE. IT IS IN THE GREAT TRADITION OF OTHER FILMS THAT HAVE DOCUMENTED PEOPLE'S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, SUCH AS "MISSING," "DEATH & THE MAIDEN," "REMEMBER," "THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE OF EBBING, MISSOURI" ( I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE LATTER FILM LOST THE BEST PICTURE OSCAR TO THE MEDIOCRE, "SHAPE OF WATER"), & THE RECENT IRANIAN FILM, "IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT." HOWEVER, WHAT MAKES THIS FILM EVEN MORE POIGNANT IS THAT MR. SAINT MARTIN CASTELLANOS BASED THIS FILM ON A TRAGEDY FROM HIS OWN LIFE, WHICH GIVES IT THE SAME SPECIAL POIGNANCY THAT WE GOT FROM "MISSING" (WHICH WAS ALSO BASED ON A TRUE STORY). AND HE ALSO FOUND THE PERFECT CINEMATOGRAPHER IN CESAR GUTIERREZ MIRANDA , WHO CAPTURED THE OCCASIONAL HAZINESS OF THE LEAD CHARCTER, SOCORRO'S, MIND THROUGH THE BLURRINESS OF HIS CAMERA WORK. AND MR. SAINT MARTIN CASTELLANOS DEFINITELY FOUND THE PERFECT ACTRESS TO PLAY SOCORRO IN LUISA HUERTAS, WHO EMBODIED THE CHARACTER OF A WORKING CLASS WOMAN AS SUCCESSFULLY AS CLASSIC ACTRESSES LIKE CELIA JOHNSON & ANNA MAGNANI. WHEN WE SEE THE DEVASTATED LOOK ON MS. HUERTAS' FACE WHEN TWO OF HER CLIENTS GIVE HER A CAKE, WE CAN TELL BEFORE WE EVEN LEARN OF SOCORRO'S BROTHER'S MURDER THAT SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED TO HER THAT SHE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO GET OVER. (AND THE LOOK OF REGRET THAT WE THEN SEE ON THE FACES OF THE ACTOR & ACTRESS WHO PLAYED HER CLIENTS SHOW US HOW MUCH SYMPATHY THEY HAVE FOR HER). WE ALSO GET VERY SYMPATHETIC PERFORMANCES FROM PEDRO HERNANDEZ AS SOCORRO'S SON, JORGE, & FROM AGUSTINA QUINCI AS SOCORRO'S DAUGHTER-IN-LAW , LUCIA. WHEN MS. QUINCI TALKS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO LUCIA'S FAMILY DURING THE REIGN OF ARGENTINA'S RIGHT WING DICTATORSHIP, SHE USES AN AGONIZED TONE OF VOICE THAT MAKES US ALL REALIZE HOW MUCH LUCIA IS STILL SUFFERING. I 'M GLAD THAT THE MEXICAN FILM BOARD HAS SUBMITTED THIS FILM FOR OSCAR CONSIDERATION, & I JUST HOPE THAT THE OSCAR VOTERS ARE WISE ENOUGH TO NOMINATE THIS FILM FOR BEST FOREIGN FILM- OR MAYBE EVEN GIVE IT HE AWARD FOR BEST FOREIGN FILM (ALTHOUGH IT WILL PROBABLY FACE TOUGH COMPETITION FROM "IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT").
