El crimen del padre Amaro (2002)

Director:

Carlos Carrera

Writers:

Vicente Leñero (writer)
Eça de Queirós (novel)

Release Date:

16 August 2002 (Mexico)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Lead us not into temptation

Plot:

Politics and sexual passions threaten to corrupt a young, newly-ordained priest in a small Mexican town.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Church | Mexico | Drugs | Corruption

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 20 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Gael García Bernal	...	Padre Amaro
Ana Claudia Talancón	...	Amelia
Sancho Gracia	...	Padre Benito Díaz
Angélica Aragón	...	Augustina Sanjuanera
Luisa Huertas	...	Dionisia
Ernesto Gómez Cruz	...	Obispo / Bishop
Gastón Melo	...	Martín
Damián Alcázar	...	Padre Natalio Pérez
Andrés Montiel	...	Rubén de la Rosa
Gerardo Moscoso	...	Doc
Alfredo Gonzáles	...	Viejo / Old Man
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	El Presidente Municipal Gordo / Mayor Gordo (as Pedro Armendáriz)
Verónica Langer	...	Amparito
Lorenzo de Rodas	...	Don Paco de la Rosa
Roger Nevares	...	Padre Galván

Also Known As:

El crimen del padre Amaro (Argentina) (Spain)
The Crime of Father Amaro (International: English title) (UK)
Le crime du père Amaro (France)
The Crime of Padre Amaro (USA) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, language and some disturbing images.

Runtime:

USA:118 min

Country:

Mexico | Spain | Argentina | France

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico

Company:

Alameda Films

Trivia:

This movie began creating controversy even before it was released. Several groups, most of them related to church, tried to ban the movie. They did not succeed; instead, tickets were sold out on opening weekend.

Goofs:

Continuity: Amaro gets beaten up by Ruben and receives some bruises in his face. A little later, when he meets Amelia in the church, the bruises are gone.

Quotes:

Padre Benito: I made you the priest's whore.

Movie Connections:

Version of O Crime do Padre Amaro (2005)

Soundtrack:

Bailando y Gozando

What it had to say...

I enjoyed this movie, not because it was gripping or exciting, but because of what it had to say.

I'm not completely aware of everything to do with the Catholic Church, but the controversy in this movie is a necessary one.

I've never seen a Gael Garcia movie before and I thought this was good. The most powerful part of the movie is what it leaves you with - the message at the end; the themes of confession, of sin, of mistakes, of being human.

If you can't watch something that is quite slow and is not edge of the seat stuff, then forget it. Even the music isn't very memorable. But the movie stuck in my mind.