The Crime of Padre Amaro

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I love Spanish-language movies and so when I saw this one in the 'Best Foreign Language Film category', I had to see it. It's the story of a handsome young priest who comes to a rural town in Mexico to begin his work. There he meets the beautiful Amelia and is soon drawn into a sexual relationship with her. Their actions eventually lead to tragedy.

I thought that Y Tu Mama Tambien was the best Spanish film ever until I saw Amores Perros. Now that I have seen 'El Crimen del Padre Amaro', I will have to change that assertion as well. This movie has a more organised plot than the two aforementioned films and is just better all the way around. Gael Garcia Bernal is at his peak as Padre Amaro. He pulls off a rather difficult role with ease and passion.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone.(unless you're a staunch Catholic.)

Rating:
Summary: The Best of the New Mexican Cinema!!
Review: I loved Amores Perros (once I got over the dog fighting) and Y Tu Mama Tambien - to be honest, I did not expect El Crimen del Padre Amaro to come anywhere close to these two gems. I was happily mistaken. The acting was magnificent, the directing apt, and the setting eminently appropriate to the subject matter. The film, based on a Portuguese novel written in 1875, is very apt not only in the context of the Mexican Catholic Church but also in light of recent events in the North American Catholic Church. The film addresses many issues facing the church - celibacy being the most advertised, but also liberation theology, women's rights, corruption, and the church hierarchy in itself. Though it deals specifically with the Catholic Church, this film reaches viewers of all faiths, and its relevance to today's society cannot be stressed enough.

Now on to the more specific comments on the DVD version. I found the *extras* to be interesting, especially the movie trailers, but I found the Making-of to be a disappointment in that it did not offer much insight into the process of making the film. The commentary, on the other hand, I did find to be interesting and useful. Overall, the film itself overcomes any flaws in the DVD presentation.

If you have not seen this film yet, you need to. It will not be 2 hours wasted.

Rating:
Summary: HIGHLY OVERRATED!!
Review: I rented this film after seeing that it was nominated for an oscar for best foreign film, and because it stared Gael Garcia Bernal, who was excelent in both Amorres Perros and Y tu mamma tambien. But what a let-down! This movie is confused, disorganized, and sometimes just silly. It's a bad movie, plain and simple. Especially the way way it starts out with political intrigue and corruption within the catholic church, then suddenly becomes a dramitic love story! I found the villainous religious old bag character particularly cartoonish and out of place. But the most surprising is all the beaming reviews! But then, when people write "it will make you think", or finish their loving review by recommending "swimfan" and "lawn-mower man" you know there's something up....

Rating:
Summary: El Crimen del Padre Amaro
Review: I saw this movie last year because it was censored by the Catholic Church here in Mexico. The movie theaters were full of curious young adults. The movie is crude, but not offensive. It shows the reality of many small towns. Nevertheless, we all know that the problem are not the priests who like young girls, but the ones who take advantage on young boys. The worst part of it is that it's not only the catholic priests, but the religious leaders of many other churches as well. In a country full of ignorance, where people still believe that they can be killed by witchcraft, or who practice it mixing with religion, it's easy to take advantage on poor people. If you liked El Crimen del Padre Amaro, I'd recommend the movie "Priest" from Miramax, which was also forbidden here and which I had to buy in Amazon in order to see it. Both movies dennounce the same kind of things, but in different environments. One in Mexico, the other in an English speaking country.
I think the problem in both is the hypocrisy of society rather than the sins of a priest.

Rating:
Summary: The book had to be better...
Review: If the characters had been consistent throughout I would have liked it better. My guess is that they were in the book, but that a film that would have been true to the author's intentions would have had to be too long and therefore too expensive. The characters were interesting and the story did draw me in. But I thought the payoff (I'm trying not to spoil it here) came out of left field and was extremely inconsistent with what I'd been taught about the characters. A decent film, but I wouldn't bother seeing it again, or recommending it very highly.

Rating:
Summary: A very weak work of cinema
Review: Many movie critics embrace The Crime of Padre Amaro because it corresponds with their particular brand of politics. They do not look at the work in an objective way; as an organic work of art. In this sense, the film is a failure. None of the characters are complex, the young priest never truly attempts to deny is carnal passions. The relationship between Padre Amaro and Amelia is not based on love: it is based on the pleasure of braking taboos. Since I mentioned politics, I do feel conpelled to comment upon them. An important fact must be registered. The film was not produced by conserned Catholics, its messaged was not for the cleansing of the church. So, what exactly did you want Mr. Ripstein? Indeed, Christ, who should have been the central current in the work, was absent. Christ neither provided guidance, approval, or disapproval for the actions of the priest(s). So, we have a movie about Christians without Christ, and this is seen as a profound work of philosophical cinema? We have a movie which discusses the institutions of religion, but not its meaning. The women who helps Amelia get an abortion is holds the female name for Dionysis, the Greek god of wine and sexual excess. She feeds holy communion to her cat. Children use holy communion as snack food, Amelia, while having sex with the priest, dresses as the Virgin Mary.....and Christians should not be outraged! This film was funded by the state of France and by funds proveded by the state of Mexico. The DVD mentions how it had been the dream of the elder Ripstein to make Padre Amaro a movie. Mr. Ripstein, what would you say if my dream were to defame to holy relics of Judaism? If I wanted to do this with money funded by Israel? That I called my slander art? But, I cannot protest. Catholics are used to spiting upon their faith.
I only ask the viewers to look at this film in its context. Understand the aim, and we all have aims, of the producers (deligitimize Christianity). See that it propoganda in narrative, lacking the depth and contracitions of real life.

Rating:
Summary: I gotta have it!!!
Review: Of course due to some of the scenes you can foretell some events that may occur, but still if you are able to follow through thoroughly and I mean thoroughly you will absorb the actual meaning of the movie, or at least the thematic conclusion I thought it was a profound entrance into the true secret lives of the (Padre's) priests live's! It is a must see for all drama lovers, and Gael is sooooo HOTT! as is the little girlfriend!

Rating:
Summary: Truthful, and Original Subject Matter1
Review: one has to see
that the film is
about a preacher
falling in love with
a woman in a small
town.
his act of sexual realtions with
a young woman make him sin.
the film is interesting
because in 2002 many people
who are blind innocently
need to be aware that some
of the clergy out there
do activities that are just
not right, and plain sinful.

Gael Garcia has done Levis commercials
and other movies that present the
true fact shape of Mexican Society.
the poor the oppressed, many people in
whatever country treat preachers like
gods and that is not true, this motion
picture will give you another view
of the side that is not talked about.

A dark side that must be exposed, and
what better way for this film "El Crimen
del padre Amaro" for the 21st century.

Movie made it big in Mexico! it was documented
in the major news spheres such as Televisa and Azteca
news. recommend it to all people.
if you are fluent in spanish get it, and if not, get it subtitled in english. the film is worth it. forget about the
news and other stories that have been mentioned and just
admire the work by the actors and the plot that was directed
by the director.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but some minor irritations
Review: Overall the experience of watching this movie was quite good. The acting is superb- with all the characters quite believable, cinematography excellent; all in all a beautiful work. The story itself is also compelling.

The problem that I have with the film is less a cinematic problem than a literary problem. A "pet peeve" of mine is when a producer or director feels that he/she can "improve" upon a story that is already an acknowledged masterwork, and makes major changes that are needless. On occasion this is necessary due to the directors desire to focus on a certain aspect of a work, or present a work cinematically that would not normally be "doable" if one stuck closely to the original text (the recent release of "Troy is a good example). I understand that this is often necessary, but at least the director ought to have the good graces to present the work under a different name; thus peterson calls his movie "Troy" and not "the Iliad."

I think Bernal made an error by moving the story from rural 19th century Portugal to modern Mexico. The thing that makes this story (and indeed the adapted movie) so compelling is that it contains an element of universality that removes any need to update it. The original book by Eça de Queiróz is as timely now as when he first wrote it. Queiróz also writes novels that are intensely "visual" (if such a word can be applied to writing) and uniquely capable of being adapted to film. It's a minor gripe, and should not dissuade anyone from watching an excellent film, but it remains none the less.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but some minor irritations
Review: Overall the experience of watching this movie was quite good. The acting is superb- with all the characters quite believable, cinematography excellent; all in all a beautiful work. The story itself is also compelling.

The problem that I have with the film is less a cinematic problem than a literary problem. A "pet peeve" of mine is when a producer or director feels that he/she can "improve" upon a story that is already an acknowledged masterwork, and makes major changes that are needless. On occasion this is necessary due to the directors desire to focus on a certain aspect of a work, or present a work cinematically that would not normally be "doable" if one stuck closely to the original text (the recent release of "Troy is a good example). I understand that this is often necessary, but at least the director ought to have the good graces to present the work under a different name; thus peterson calls his movie "Troy" and not "the Iliad."

I think Bernal made an error by moving the story from rural 19th century Portugal to modern Mexico. The thing that makes this story (and indeed the adapted movie) so compelling is that it contains an element of universality that removes any need to update it. The original book by Eça de Queiróz is as timely now as when he first wrote it. Queiróz also writes novels that are intensely "visual" (if such a word can be applied to writing) and uniquely capable of being adapted to film. It's a minor gripe, and should not dissuade anyone from watching an excellent film, but it remains none the less.