Film shows the weaknesses of man.
Following the bandwagon of subsequent critically acclaimed Mexican-made featured film successes of Amores Perros and Y tu mamá también is another Gael GarcÃa Bernal vehicled film in the backdrop of sunny Mexico. Question is…does being under the same light assure director Carlos Carrera instant triumph?
Set in modern-day Mexico, but based on a 1875 novel by the same title, this film is an account of the touchy issues concerning the role of the church and its conflicting responsibility towards God and its people. The film is also an exploration of the relationships between this young “father†figure in Father Amaro (Bernal-Amores Perros) as seen with Father Benito (Sancho Garcia) the resident man of good faith who shatters the holy image of a devoted priest. As internal conflicts multiply; the young man trails off into his misadventures with celibacy with a local girl, later to be renamed a “blessed virgin†Amelia (Ana Claudia Talancón). The dual narratives discuss the different forms of corruption; basically this film has got it all from money laundering, corrupt priests, forbidden love and a young cleric hot stud of a priest comes to a small city and ends up popping his cherry. ?
Carrera presents the facts but doesn’t dig deep enough into the moral convictions and moral corruption of the young apprentice. All through the film we get the impression that Bernal has no clue what to do with this character, showing no emotion by over-emphasizing the blind eye mentally into the character. Obviously, the viewer understands that Father Amaro as learned his behavior by example, except this is contradicted by the fact that he lashes out and questions Benito’s intentions as seen with the hospital project. For a character who must come to terms with his own corruption and must come to terms the rampant bribery and dishonesty he sure keeps a straight face. ?
Certainly the film has some pleasurable moments, but remains a hard watch when it belittles most of the supporting characters and when the pacing of the film and how the narrative carries itself off into more than one direction is poorly devised. Is this about bad people in the church, drug lords and the power behind them, Britney Spears’ school girls causing havoc or a comment on voodoo practices? The Crime of Father Amaro is far less controversial than what Carrera suggests this drama to be, and in contrast to a film like Amen, ‘Father’ lacks the fiber to make the profound statement that’s it aspires to and ultimately the film’s narrative examination between right and wrong choices becomes insignificant by the wrong choices of the director.?
Viewed in Oringinal Language with English Subtitles.
