While working alongside his long-time friend and colleague in building a hospital for the residents of a Buenos Aries shantytown, a troubled priest finds solace in a young, atheist social worker.
The exceptionally well-drawn main characters remain in sharp focus through this sometimes-unwieldy structure.
A flawed drama, but one with emotional power.
The problem is the melodramatic and solemn screenplay. The action sequences have an energy reminiscent of City of God but the scenes in which the priests deal with housing problems or struggle with ill health or the temptations of the flesh soon begin to drag.
Trapero mounts a saga about the role of conscience, which might seem old-fashioned if it weren’t so urgently imagined. An added fillip is Michael Nyman’s stirring score, his best in years.
An old-fashioned but satisfying drama.
There's a lot to think about - sacrifice, faith, poverty and much more - but it all feels too crammed into its running time, and is delivered in an uninspiring fashion.
A well-constructed, genuinely thrilling drama about spiritual endurance and social commitment.
Excellent, hard-hitting.
Pablo Trapero’s social realist parable about good intentions focuses on two priests (Ricardo Darin and Jeremie Renier) waging a losing battle for souls in a Brazilian shanty town.
General release. Check local listings for show times.