Our Lady of the Assassins (2000)
"La virgen de los sicarios" (original title)

The tempestuous love story between Fernando, an older man who has recently returned to his crime-ridden drug capitol hometown of Medellin, Colombia and the gun-happy 16-year-old assassin ... See full summary »

Director:

Barbet Schroeder

Writers:

Fernando Vallejo (novel), Fernando Vallejo (screenplay)

Stars:

Germán Jaramillo, Anderson Ballesteros, Juan David Restrepo

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Germán Jaramillo	...	Fernando
Anderson Ballesteros	...	Alexis
Juan David Restrepo	...	Wilmar
Manuel Busquets	...	Alfonso
Wilmar Agudelo	...	Child Sniffing Glue
Juan Carlos Álvarez	...	4x4 Thief
Jairo Alzate	...	Taxi Driver Santa Domingo
Zulma Arango	...	Waitress
José Luis Bedoya	...	Taxi Sabaneta 1
Cenobia Cano	...	Alexis's Mother
Eduardo Carvajal	...	Taxi Driver Clinic
Olga Lucía Collazos	...	Pregnant Woman
Jorge A. Correa	...	Dead Man
Phanor Delgado	...	Taxi Driver with Machete
Albeiro Lopera	...	Punk

Storyline

The tempestuous love story between Fernando, an older man who has recently returned to his crime-ridden drug capitol hometown of Medellin, Colombia and the gun-happy 16-year-old assassin Alexis, who murders all too easily. When Alexis himself is fatally gunned down, grief-stricken Fernando hunts for his young lover's killer in the Medellin slums, but instead encounters Wilmar, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Alexis.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | medellin colombia | drugs | love | viper's nest | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language, sexuality and drug content

Details

Country:

Spain France Colombia

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

20 September 2000 (France)

Also Known As:

Our Lady of the Assassins

Filming Locations:

Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$56,069 (USA) (7 September 2001)

Gross:

$525,029 (USA) (19 April 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, Les Films du Losange, Proyecto Tucan

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Fernando: Everyone's rotten. The world is run by crooks. Look at our despicable President: "A decision that will benefit all Colombians!" Ha.
Alexis: If you want, I'll shoot him. I mean it.
Fernando: That's just a waste of bullets.

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Soundtracks

"Colonia USA (Terror Punk)"
Written by La Pestilencia
Performed by La Pestilencia

User Reviews

from a respite from dull films, see this

A middle-aged Colombian writer, disgusted with life and contemptuous of religion, becomes involved sexually and romantically with teen-aged Medellin boys who kill effortlessly and with little provocation. At first appalled, he eventually grows addicted to the deaths the boys bring about, their magical ability to resolve the annoyances of everyday life, such as noisy neighbors and aggressive cab subway riders. The plot has some really astonishing surprises, and the taut nearly flawless script (in Spanish) is a treasure. The film , obviously the product of a philosophically inclined mind (Schroeder studied philosophy at the Sorbonne), is a thinking filmgoer's feast and works on many different levels. The main character's ambivalence about religion (the film's title, and the fact that the writer keeps finding himself in cathedrals) furnishes much matter for reflection. This film is not for everyone--- it is, even for these times, shocking. Those more comfortable with the blowsy and predictable product issuing from Hollywood committees should probably avoid it. But those who treasure the ability of film to explore provocative and original ideas will love it.