The stunning actress Tere Lopez Tarin portrays both a privileged aristocrat who speaks out of turn and acts in a brazen fashion and also the saintly Maria who cures Indians of small pox and battles the conquistadors. She performs her dynamic role sedately and through her stoic behavior the viewer is allowed to feel the intensity of her turmoil. I hope to see Tarin in more films in the future, as she is one of those actresses that go beyond just decorating the screen. She takes on a challenging role while masterfully rendering her character into flesh and blood.
Ave Maria is a passionate historical film that recalls the Mexican hit Like Water For Chocolate, Bunuel's Viridiana and other Spanish language classics. The film proves to be more than a historical epic, as it is a history lesson that reveals the corruption of the Catholic church during the middle ages. Although most of us have forgotten or never knew about the atrocities that took place during the Spanish Inquisition or the extermination of the indigenous people of the New World, this film forces us to take a closer look.
