'Bless Me, Ultima' Review (dir. Carl Franklin)

Score:★★★★/★★★★★

 

 

 

'Bless Me, Ultima' plays out like a poetry on the screen, no shot is wasted, each scene is poigant and filled with beauty. It transcends from a silmple story about a family in New Mexico to a powerful reflection on God, faith, good, and evil. 'Bless Me, Ultima' is based on the 1972 novel of the same name, and adapted to the screen by director Carl Franklin. The film tells the story of Antonio and his family as an old family friend, Ultima, moves in with them. Ultima and Antonia quickly spark up a frienship as she teaches him about life, culture, and morality.

   At times the movie is very peaceful. Ultima and Antonio's conversation are among the best parts of the film, as they are always engaging, meanigful, and serene. Antonio is a firm believer in Catholicism, while Ultima tries to show him that not all answers come from religion. Other parts of the film are darker as Antonio deals with universal themes of life and death, and seeks meanigful answers. These answers never come, but this is the beauty of life, as it is up to us to find answers to questions like: Why does evil exist in the world? Why does God let these things happen?

   As far as the quality of the film goes, there is never a dull moment. Each scene has value to it, and kept my eyes glued to the screen. The direction by Franklin is excellent, and on the most part the script is well done with a few weak deliveries. In general the performnaces are lackluster with the exception of Miriam Colon, who plays Ultima herself. Colon brought emotional depth and intensity to her charachter, and gave by far the best performance in the movie. The score of the movie accents the film, and adds emotion to the scenes. The cinematography is breathtakingly done by the talented Paula Huidobro.

   Overall this is a very well made film with a lot of heart. I don't expect this film to last in theatres very long, but I encourage every one to see it. In some cases it is flawed, but in other ways it has the making of a classic. Its an intense, harsh look at life and all its struggles that is made with a lot of talent.