Upon its release in 2002, “The Crime of Father Amaro” was surrounded by controversy. One of the most successful Mexican films in history, it was denounced by William Donohue of the Catholic League for its “vicious” portrait of priests; on the other hand, Father Rafael Gonzalez, speaking for the Council of Mexican Bishops, calls it an “honest movie” and describes it as “a wake-up call for the church to review its procedure for selecting and training priests and being closer to the people.”
Both sides treated the film as a statement about the church, when in fact portrays priests neither as good or bad, but simply as human, with their human virtues and flaws.
The movie is based on an 1875 Portuguese novel by Eca de Queiroz, transplanted to modern Mexico. It gives us Padre Amaro (Gael Garcia Bernal) as a rising star in the church, a protege of the bishop, who ships him to the provincial capital of Los Reyes to gain fexposure to the church’s realpolitik under the season hand of Father Benito.
The film is directed in a straightforward way by Carlos Carrera, who makes it direct and heartfelt. The presence of Bernal in the cast is a reminder of his work as one of the two young men in “Y Tu Mama Tambien” (2001).
Predictably, the film’s critics are most upset by Amaro’s sexual behavior, when in fact the film’s real questions run deeper, and are political: Has the church sometimes kept company with unsavory sources of financing? Is the policy of celibacy more observed in the breach than in the observance? It is up for the viewer to decide.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/8ya3-DRSq18?si=7L9zRtglnHJHxhdl
WHEN: Thursday, April 24
WHERE: Consulate General of Mexico - 25/F Hopewell Centre, Wan Chai
Rating: 15+
Synopsis:
Father Amaro (Gael García Bernal), a young Roman Catholic priest, is a new arrival in a small Mexican town. Assigned to help the older Father Benito, Amaro gradually discovers that his elder is not only involved in an affair, but also building a hospital with help from a local drug czar.
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS:
2003 Ariel Awards - Best Picture (winner)
2003 Ariel Awards - Best Director (winner)
2003 Ariel Awards - Best Actress (nominated)
2003 Ariel Awards - Best Supporting Actor (winner)
2003 Ariel Awards - Best Supporting Actress (winner)
2003 Academy Awards - Best Picture in a Foreign Language (nominated)
2003 Golden Globes - Best Foreign Picture (nominated)
2002 Havana Film Festival - Best Screenplay (winner)
2003 Istambul Film Festival - Golden Tulip (nominated)
2002 National Borad of Review, USA - NBR Award to Top Foreign Films (winner)
2002 San Sebastian International Film Festival - Golden Seashell (nominated)
Free entrance. Complimentary popcorn.
