Yes. As the other reviewer (until now) stated. this is not a fantastically crafted film script- wise. But, for people like me, who belonged to one of these incredibly large and powerful organisations for many many years, the script rings so many bells that it becomes a bit unbearable at certain times.
Yes, the cinematography is lush and beautiful. The locations, again, ring true (if you're familiar with the real story behind them), even the looks, the cars, the rituals, the words, the ideas to be ingrained in the children's minds. I mean, mostly everything rings more than one bell in my mind and really made me shiver and feel uneasy most of the film.
Acting-wise, there are many good choices and pretty well known ones. I'd say Manuel gives a terrifying performance that made me cringe more than once.
In the end, the film treats with grace and delicacy things that are not to be shown anymore on the big or small screen because they'll be banned. That's sad, but that's how this kind of experiences and their immense publicity have changed the film industry to tell stories with more guts. I don't blame anyone for that... its' just the way it is and it's a sad thing for the film industry, for the real people, for spectators and for the sake of well-translated books into films.
Since this film covers with flashes a much more complex story, it will never be the "Story of the Legionaires of Christ" in full, but it depicts enough to understand why there was such a huge scandal throughout the world, especially in Mexico. Well done!
Yes, the cinematography is lush and beautiful. The locations, again, ring true (if you're familiar with the real story behind them), even the looks, the cars, the rituals, the words, the ideas to be ingrained in the children's minds. I mean, mostly everything rings more than one bell in my mind and really made me shiver and feel uneasy most of the film.
Acting-wise, there are many good choices and pretty well known ones. I'd say Manuel gives a terrifying performance that made me cringe more than once.
In the end, the film treats with grace and delicacy things that are not to be shown anymore on the big or small screen because they'll be banned. That's sad, but that's how this kind of experiences and their immense publicity have changed the film industry to tell stories with more guts. I don't blame anyone for that... its' just the way it is and it's a sad thing for the film industry, for the real people, for spectators and for the sake of well-translated books into films.
Since this film covers with flashes a much more complex story, it will never be the "Story of the Legionaires of Christ" in full, but it depicts enough to understand why there was such a huge scandal throughout the world, especially in Mexico. Well done!