Marasmo (2003)

Director:

Mauricio Mendiola

Writers:

Antonio Caballero (book)
Mauricio Mendiola (writer)

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Carolina Solano	...	Luz Angélica
Bismark Méndez	...	Ismael
Marcela Ugalde	...	Consuelo
César Meléndez	...	Comandante Lupercio
Vinicio Rojas	...	Comandante Ernestito
Bernal García	...	El Cocinero
Pedro Sánchez	...	Rocky
Ana Mercedes	...	Consuelo's Mother
Humberto Henríquez	...	Luz Angélica's Father
Casandra Solano	...	El Cocinero's wife
Francisco Alpizar
Carlos Bahamón
Raúl Ríos
Erick Gómez

Runtime:

Colombia:90 min

Country:

Costa Rica

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Company:

Procines S.A.

Mashed Potatoes Columbia

Something needs to be said about the real tragedy of Columbia, but this film doesn't say enough very well. Runs like a 60's movie shot with better gear.

Instead of a real meal of vegetables cooked just right, with all the realities, horrors, and complexities of presentation building knowledge and intellect through entertainment, something else happened here. The film was done in Costa Rica. So the scenery was breath taking - all that had to be done was to load the film and point the camera. But it suffered from Costa Rican mediocrity. Costa Rica is known for its geographic wonders, but not for the quality of its products, services, or arts.

The story was a good ole story until it's traumatic and bombastic (those elements were realistic) climax. But it never really brought all the colors together. If it was to be a film about some ordinary Columbian lives affected by civil rebellion and drug world vendettas it needed a lot more.

Many of the characters were sympathetic and the acting showed glimmers of hope by times. Overall: acting=5, direction=3.5, cinematography=3, script=5.5, screenplay=2.5, production=2.5 Good practice, but this outfit needs a lot more experience and skill to make solid cinema.