neumu [ cinematronic ]




	El Crimen Del Padre Amaro
	Carlos Carrera Gael García Bernal, Ana Claudia Talancón, Sancho Gracia, Angélica Aragón 2002		Mexican actor Gael García Bernal's star has swiftly ascended in the international-cinema firmament. Coming after his acclaimed performances in the fiery, stimulating "Y Tu Mamá También" and "Amores Perros," "El Crimen del Padre Amaro" ("The Crime of Father Amaro") finds Bernal in more conventional dramatic throes as a newly ordained priest assigned to a small-town parish. Young Father Amaro is sent to assist venerable Father Benito (Sancho Gracia), but the aging priest's carnal appetites and political maneuvering go against the traditions and dictates of the Catholic Church. Benito's rapport with a wealthy local mobster and the lack of piety in his private life cause Amaro to question his own faith. In this climate, Amaro's vow of chastity turns out to be a flimsy thing when he's tempted by succulent 16-year-old Amelia (Ana Claudia Talancón), daughter of Benito's mistress. Such behavior means trouble and retribution for the intemperate in any soap opera, and "El Crimen del Padre Amaro," which mixes its indictment of church corruption with overheated melodrama, is fundamentally a glorified soap.