Review of Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014) by Bill S — 29 Jun 2015
Authentic in it's description of the horrific violence routinely and remorselessly meted out to anyone the Medellin cartel perceives as a threat to their activities. But the film suffers from the implausible relationship between Nick (Josh Hutcherson), a young American visiting the country for the first time.
His character quickly (and unrealistically) falls for Maria (Claudia Traisac) who just happens to be the niece of the drug lord, Pablo Escobar. The bright spot is Benecio Del Toro, who superbly captures the eerie malevolence of Escobar.
In addition, there are some wonderfully tense moments near the end that make the ride worthwhile. Still, Nick's love for Maria is very contrived. It seems the filmmaker used this device as a way to develop dramatic tension.
The effort is unsatisfying, causing the film to ultimately suffer from a lack of realism.
This review of Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014) was written by Bill S on 29 Jun 2015.
Escobar: Paradise Lost has generally received mixed reviews.
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