The Crime of Father Amaro

One of the most relentlessly eye-opening dramas of the year.

For all of the criticisms of the Church in El Crimen del Padre Amaro, Carrera is quick to defend the basic humanity of his characters.

It's not hard to see why Mexican audiences are lapping this up.

A lurid but timeless reminder that the bureaucracies and regulations of organized religion have nothing to do -- indeed are often at odds -- with living a God-ward life.

Its exploration of the struggle between the flesh and the spirit every priest faces is certainly timely. But this obvious, heavy-handed melodrama, which relies on one hackneyed plot twist too many, could have used a little more finesse.

While the issues the film raises are acutely topical, Carrera seems bent on carrying on a crusade rather than creating a realistic drama.

Apesar das inmeras liberdades tomadas com o texto de Ea de Queiroz, o filme funciona maravilhosamente bem com seus personagens tridimensionais e questionamentos sobre a Igreja.