The Virgin of Juarez (2006)

I thought this was worth my time, a good effort that drew attention to a subject that has been all but ignored in the press. Obviously a work of fiction, none the less I thought it raised some interesting ideas about what might be behind the very real murders of over 500 women in Juarez.Considering it's small budget the production values were good and the script decent, direction, photography, design, editing were of high standard for a low budget film. The plot moves along well, and kept me interested, certainly more so than many "big budget" films I've seen lately.Whilst this film is not perfect, (show me one that is), I don't think it deserved some of the negative postings it received, particularly those that seem to be sour grapes from disgruntled crew members. It's a movie folks, not a documentary, and one that might bring some badly needed attention to the hundreds of murders still ongoing in Juarez.Good effort, worth seeing.

THE VIRGIN OF JUAREZ is based on true events surrounding the crime problems of Juarez, Mexico reflected in the gringo exploitation of businesses in neighboring El Paso, Texas. The story contains many important facts that desperately need to be brought into the light, but the impact of the film falters because of the choices made by the writer and director.Karina Danes (Minnie Driver) is a journalist for a Los Angeles newspaper who has flown to Juarez to investigate the multiple (in the hundreds) killings of young women. The targets for these murders seem to be young women working in the US sponsored sweatshops in Juarez who are picked up at night after work, raped, beaten and killed. Danes is convinced the Juarez police force is doing nothing and takes on the mission of exposing the tragedies, in part due to her own past issues of being to idle with similar crimes in the US. She meets Father Herrera (Esai Morales) and a community activist Patrick (Angus MacFadyen) and together they probe the police files and follow the most recent murder, discovering along the way a survivor named Mariela (Ana Claudia Talancón), a frightened young girl whose memory of her rape and beating is erased by her apparent vision of the Virgin Mary. A father of one of the victims, Isidro (Jorge Cervera, Jr.) nurtures Mariela and helps her to escape the hospital, placing her in a 'church' where she becomes a 'saint' to the people of Juarez who long for the crimes to end. Mariela appears to the public with the stigmata of bleeding hands and offers hope to the victims' families. Danes works hard to discover evidence that will expose the perpetrators, taking a sheet of photos of 'most wanted men' from the police office of Detective Lauro (Jacob Vargas), and works with the police and Father Herrera to resolve the tragic chain of events that continue in Juarez. Fearing for Mariela's life, they transport her to Los Angeles where mysterious events end the story.The squeaky, mawkish script was written by Michael Fallon and directed by Kevin James Dobson. Had their vision been more directed toward defining the line between realism and fanaticism, the story would possibly have been better related. There are some good performances by Driver, Talancón, Morales, and Vargas but the minor roles vary in quality. Reporting atrocities such as the one this film addresses is a valid and valuable contribution of contemporary cinema. It is sad when script and the production dull the impact. Grady Harp

I also saw The Virgin of Juarez at The Latino Film Fest. What is it with these negative comments? I really enjoyed the movie for what it was. Maybe it didn't fit into the box some people wanted it to but it is an art film. I highly recommend this film to anyone. Minnie Driver is excellent and all the cast did a wonderful job. It should play in every movie theater in the country. I will be buying the DVD and recommending it to all my friends. The script may have benefited from a little more work but that is being very critical. If you haven't seen it you should. I really liked the pacing of the film and the way it switched around from Juarez to Los Angeles. i had no idea about the murders down there and this film opened my eyes to a very significant problem.

"The Virgin of Juarez", recently presented at the New York International Latino Film Festival dealing with kidnapped and murdered women in the Mexican town of Ciudad Juarez, does a terrible job of exploring the deeper issues behind the events and fails miserably in telling the victim's stories. The second half of this film degenerates into an unconvincing, and at times embarrassing Joan of Arc allegory that in the end belittles the subject matter.Most frustratingly, the actors try their passionate best to present the gravity of the actual events that took place in Juarez, but are overwhelmed by the silly twists and turns that lead to a ridiculous gunfight between parties that in the end have no real involvement in the crimes the movie intends to talk about.This movie represents a shameful lost opportunity.