Maroa (2005) User Reviews

.......and when those dark eyes peer at you from the screen........

[khatcher-2 · 6/10 · 25 May 2008]

Obeying orders from two of my young Venezuelan students to have dinner with them and the boy-friend of one, I dutifully shuffled out one Thursday night, with a bottle of Ramón Bilbao tinto "Gran Reserva" 1985 under my arm, and enjoyed splendid company, a tasty roast chicken, and "arepas" (they told me "sin 'H'") which is a Colombian-Venezuelan speciality and extremely filling. And after dinner, slaking down excellent Colombian coffee, one of the girls put "Maroa" on her lap-top, while outside the rain fell silently and steadily, no doubt to add a little atmosphere to the proceedings.

We have here an almost "Billy Elliot" kind of film but in a very Hispano-Venezuelan tone set in the tough world of the "ranchos" around Caracas spread out on the "cerros". In other words, in the slums or shanty-towns on the hills around the Venezuelan capital. And a tough life it is indeed - poverty and violence living hand in hand amid corruption and police brutality.

Solveig Hoogestein, Belgian-born but "adopted" by Venezuela, does not shy from this authentic background of one of the most violent cities in the world; I could have well done without some of the beatings the little actress suffered at the hands of police and others; however that would have gone against the grain of the truthfulness of the story-line.

Yorlis Domínguez was an uncanny eleven-year-old when this film was made; even then she had - and I suppose and hope she still has - that physical capacity in her face and eyes with which to portray and transmit so many different feelings throughout this film - she is barely off screen - such that from the earlier sequences you are at once held open-eyed in wonderment and disbelief, which later in the film simply becomes admiration.

Tristan Ulloa (Lucía y el Sexo 2001 - qv) carries out his part well enough, I suppose, somewhat eclipsed by the presence of Yorlis, which does not surprise anybody. Very worthy of mention is Elba Escobar as Brígida, Maroa's not-so-elderly but very ailing grandmother, eking out a living from whatever in her spartan dwelling up on the "cerros" - her part is very secondary, but when on screen, her performance is compelling and convincing.

Carmen Frías once again excellent with the scissors after her extraordinary work in Truebas "Calle 54" (qv), as once again she has to edit film with music, in this case bits of Haendel and Mozart, mostly, and a very old friend turns up as producer - Gerardo Herrero - erstwhile director of such fare as "Territorio Comanche" (1997)(qv) "Malena es un nombre de tango" (1996)(qv), as well as being one of the producers for Polanski's great film "The Pianist" (1998) and the very recommendable "Martín (Hache)" (qv) directed by the Argentinian Adolfo Aristarain, among other not so memorable excursions, or forays - as you will.

The end result in "Maroa" is touching, but in the sense of plucking a few chords of sympathy mixed with regret and even a little guilt, tugging at one's conscience; but in no way is this film a mere "tear-jerker". Far from it. This film should have become known outside of Venezuela, apart from a couple of French film festivals. But I see it is about to debut in Berlin........

Ah: the Spanish - apart from Tristan Ulloa - is extremely dialectical, pure Venezuelan, and thus will not be easy to understand even by advanced students of this language.

Street wise

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 1 March 2012]

Living conditions in one of the richest countries in the world is examined in this tale about Maroa, a young girl living among the squalor of a favela-like area of Caracas. Crime is rampant all over the place. Even young children have weapons to kill and defend themselves, something that will eventually catches up with the teenager at the center of the story.

Maroa has only an elderly grandmother who does not seem to have a clue as to what the girl is involved in. After a killing, she is apprehended and taken to a reformatory for young people. Maroa is a rebel who does not appreciate being in such a closed environment. Fortunately for her, Joaquin, the young Spanish music teacher who teaches and conducts the reformatory orchestra, takes an interest in Maroa, whom he finds has the talent that must be exploited.

The rapport between Joaquin and Maroa turns sour when she escapes from the institution to go back to the same mean streets where she came from. After Joaquin finds her, he brings her back to live with him, an unwise decision because Maroa is perhaps not ready for that kind of bonding. Both end up going different ways.

Solveig Hoogesteijn, a European director whose parents emigrated to Venezuela, tries to make sense out of the despair she sees all around her. Caracas, where the story takes place, is one of the most dangerous cities in the world as crime in the street is rampant. Maroa is a product of that atmosphere in which despair gives way to drugs, crime and prostitution in equal ways. The director co-wrote the screenplay with Fernando Castets, and Claudia Nazoa. The creators wanted to show, perhaps, that many of these kids without future can aspire to become solid citizens if they are given tools that will give them a better life.

One of the things where Venezuelans excel is their capacity in which to get involved in music. "The System" as it is known, was founded by Jose Antonio Abreu, a wise man who recognized the capacity of children to change their lives by joining the many orchestras he has formed in the country. Children learn to play different instruments and come together to play great music that will take them away from the blight atmosphere of those shanty towns where otherwise will lead them to a life of misery.

A soul touching movie

[javier-lopez-j · 8/10 · 10 January 2007]

Is the story of Maroa, a "getto" child (if the word is appropriate on Venezuela)who use to steal radio cars, money on crowded subway, maybe "move" some drug, and found her way out by learning to play music when she was arrested and kept on a reformatory where this music teacher took her by his wing and give her something to hope about. I liked this film because the characters are so well performed, is a film you can see without any expectations, because there are no movie-stars, so anything can happen, but most because it's very touching. Maybe the only downs are that there is lot of slang, so you may have some trouble following literally some parliaments, but it's a movie to follow with the heart, so this is just a minimum minor.