Madeinusa

I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on the last night of my first Peru vacation. The actors inhabited their characters and were very well defined. Madeinusa, the main character was scary in her "innocent evil" yet she remained sympathetic throughout the story. I found it hard to believe she had no previous acting experience. The story was captivating. It pulled me in from the start and spat me out wanting at its ending. I'll never look at the period between Good Friday and Easter Sunday the same way again. The scenery and cinematography was breathtaking and went a long way to carry the mood of the film.

I can't wait for the US release. This film is a must-see!

We have seen so many documentary films concerning Peru and it's people, that it is hard to realize that this is NOT a documentary and is a fictional piece of work, and has to be taken as such. It is not a mirror of reality. There are people, however, who do take it as reality, usually those people have deep racial complexes, and who can use the film as a way of saying, "I told you so", are regards the behaviour and customs of the villagers, as shown fictionally in the film. Of course, the film has taken it's main ideas from real customs, but have dressed them up, exploited them and blown them out of proportion. But that is what art is all about, and the film has to be taken as such, pure art.

When this movie was premiered in Lima, there was an outrage in the media. Polls were run and showed a deep and neat divide among public. Almost half of moviegoers would call it shameful, pitiful, racist trash,etc. The other half would congratulate the production, the effort, etc. Very little in between. There is an obvious theme of Magical Realism trough the movie. And with a good knowledge of the true people of the Andean country towns it is mighty obvious that the whole tale is a fantasy, that could be based on urban legends and cultural misunderstandings. But nothing else. It's just that many Peruvians resent the thought that anybody outside would think that all Peruvians are like those in the movie. The foreigner to Perú must understand that there is a whole parallel culture alive in the Andes, that has survived the westernization of the capital and most of the coast region. But its not what we see in this movie. Not at all.

This is a fantastic tale. A grim fable. And it is very Peruvian. Full of details, that are easy to spot for the local, but obscure and weird for the foreigner. And that is right on the spot for the story. Because the male lead, being "limeño", belongs to the "other culture" and doesn't know better. This movie does not pretend to be pedagogic, nor documentary material. And it touches very sensitive matters in very weird ways. It's wicked. But the exotic town is out of this world. The male lead in the movie walks the town like a stumbling Alice in Wickedland. And it is what it is.

If they ever do the Hollywood remake, it can be made with a town that looks like an Amish camp, or something out of the Little House in the Praire, with a catholic touch, and tell this very same story with little changes. That would look like one of those Twilight Zone movies. And be enjoyed by the fans of such kind of movies.

In my humble opinion, this movie is far better than The Milk of Sorrow, by the same director and with the same main female protagonist. I just think that it was ignored in its moment, but deserves a look.

Not for the religious sensitive anyway. Catholics beware, ye have been warned.

But if you want to know how the real Perú is, come and visit. :)

I'm a Peruvian citizen living in Spain; but I must say this is an awful movie when it comes to make a portrait of rural Peru: probably the director intended to impress pseudo-intellectual European film critics (as in Malaga Festival) but definitely if you try to reflect the harness of some realities you should put a bit of humanity (and some realism) into it. Start, by the way, watching some Fernando León films, Claudia Llosa!! It's a pity there are so very few interesting Peruvian films anyhow, but the least we need is another non-resident high-class Peruvian spreading around a kitsch and misinformed view of our land. So: I think it's not worth the money, and it's also deeply disgusting.

A Peruvian misery fest, boringly and beautifully presented. Solid C.