Maria Full of Grace star Catalina Sandino Moreno

Jul 16, 2004

Maria Full of Grace is not only one of the best foreign language films you will see this year but also one of the best movies of the year in general.

The film tells the story of one young woman's journey from a small Colombian town to the streets of New York. A bright, spirited 17-year old, Maria Alvarez [Catalina Sandino Moreno] lives with three generations of her family in a cramped house in rural Colombia and works stripping thorns from flowers in a rose plantation. The offer of a lucrative job involving travel in fact, becoming a drug "mule" changes the course of her life. Maria is transported into the risky and ruthless world of international drug trafficking.

Funnily enough writer/director Joshua Marston is an American but he decided to go to Colombia and cast and shoot the movie there.

Moreno is a real find and is sure to be a big star. For her first performance she is amazingly real.

Maria Full of Grace opens in select cities on July 16.

Check out the website for Maria Full of Grace

Daniel Robert Epstein: What did you think when this white kid wanted to shoot this movie?

Catalina Sandino Moreno: It was very interesting that he was American but his eyes were in Colombia. When I was reading the script it was the story of this girl but I was looking through the pages waiting for the gun to come out. It never came and you never see Maria with a big bruise on her face. It was very interesting how Joshua approached it. Its the story of this girl and at the end of the movie shes a woman.

DRE:

How was it working with Joshua?

CSM:

It was good. He was very good with the actors. He knows the language but he doesnt know the slang so he would let us improvise. So he had to trust and understand us.

DRE:

Do you know anyone who was a drug mule?

CSM:

No. For my research I didnt think it was important to talk to drug mules because Maria doesnt know how to be a drug mule so we treated it like it was my first time, which it was. I didnt want any preconceptions and I wanted it to be fresh.

DRE:

Are you actually able to swallow pellets that big?

CSM:

I swallowed the pellets you see in the movie. They didnt have heroin in them but it was the same size and it was painful. You can really feel them going down your throat. Maria has to swallow 62 of them and some people swallow up to a 100. Its really sad.

DRE:

When did you first come to New York City?

CSM:

The first time was when we shot the movie.

DRE:

Did you have a similar epiphany like she did at the end of the movie?

CSM:

No the situations are different. Maria stays for her baby and wants another life. I was thinking about how I always wanted to come to New York City to study acting. Now they pay me to be here to promote the movie so now that I have this money I wanted to invest in myself. I went to The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and I think that was good because thats want I really want to do.

Strasberg showed me that there is more than one method. If you have trouble with a character you can use a method. I didnt like the method so I dont consider myself a method actress. I dont believe you can have a recipe on how to act.

DRE:

What was the most difficult scene in Maria?

CSM:

There were two. Physically it was the scene where Maria was working at the plantation with the roses. It was only the second day of the shoot, it was raining and I was standing for the whole time on my knees during the scene. The roses were dying, we had a 120 extras and my knee was all filled with liquid. Then the scene with Carla when Don Fernando called her was really difficult emotionally.

DRE:

What was it like working with so many nonprofessional actors in Colombia?

CSM:

I love it. The freshness and their ability to be natural allows them to be 100 percent real. They dont pose for the camera and they are just there. Ive heard of actors that give a better performance just for their close-up and I wont do that because its ridiculous.

DRE:

I know youve done some theatre already in New York City.

CSM:

Yes I did some theatre in a little company Off Off Off Broadway. It was a small part but it was my first time in theatre and it was Shakespeare. I was the Spanish princess Blanche in King John. I really respect theatre because you have to really be prepared and the audience isnt stupid. It scared me because it was also my first time acting in English.

DRE:

Have you started auditioning for more movies?

CSM:

Im waiting for Maria to come out. All my energy is with this movie to promote it. I want my second movie to come to me.

DRE:

Was there ever a time when you thought you might not be able to get into Marias mindset?

CSM:

I dont think so. I understood Maria and her situation. I think if you can respect your characters position you can go with it and learn.

DRE:

What do you think of other Latino actresses like Penelope Cruz and Jennifer Lopez?

CSM:

They made it and good for them. But they are different kind of actresses. I am Colombian as is this movie so the director wanted all Colombian actors. He didnt want a Puerto Rican or Venezuelan or whatever to pretend to be Colombian.

DRE:

Did you expect the movie to be this good?

CSM:

Never! I never even thought it was going to get into theaters or get all this press. When I think of New Line I think of Lord of the Rings not this movie.

DRE:

How was the Sundance experience?

CSM:

Amazing. In Colombia you never see independent movies but you go to Sundance and you see so many. These are movies directors really fight for.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

SG Username: AndersWolleck

4 Comments