Review of The Maldonado Miracle (2003) by Phillip N — 27 Jun 2016

This is a lovely film that I looked for for years, after seeing it on British TV. It gently takes a swipe at human understanding (or lack of), chiding us also for wanting to be self-important whilst losing sight of what is really important in life, but then reminds us that if we stop looking for somebody to come in and make a grand gesture of change in our lives, we can see the small miracles that already have power in our lives.

There are some truly fine performances here, especially in the on screen relationship between Mare Winningham and Ruben Blades. Peter Fonda's work here is every bit as crafted and lean as his earlier work in "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things.

" Eddy Martin is a gem of a find as the young Mexican boy at the centre of events. Salma Hayek, as a debuting director, is to be commended.