The Virgin of Juarez (2006) User Reviews

Worthwhile and Important Story Hampered by Poor Script and Production

[gradyharp · 5/10 · 16 June 2007]

THE VIRGIN OF JUAREZ is based on true events surrounding the crime problems of Juarez, Mexico reflected in the gringo exploitation of businesses in neighboring El Paso, Texas. The story contains many important facts that desperately need to be brought into the light, but the impact of the film falters because of the choices made by the writer and director.

Karina Danes (Minnie Driver) is a journalist for a Los Angeles newspaper who has flown to Juarez to investigate the multiple (in the hundreds) killings of young women. The targets for these murders seem to be young women working in the US sponsored sweatshops in Juarez who are picked up at night after work, raped, beaten and killed. Danes is convinced the Juarez police force is doing nothing and takes on the mission of exposing the tragedies, in part due to her own past issues of being to idle with similar crimes in the US. She meets Father Herrera (Esai Morales) and a community activist Patrick (Angus MacFadyen) and together they probe the police files and follow the most recent murder, discovering along the way a survivor named Mariela (Ana Claudia Talancón), a frightened young girl whose memory of her rape and beating is erased by her apparent vision of the Virgin Mary. A father of one of the victims, Isidro (Jorge Cervera, Jr.) nurtures Mariela and helps her to escape the hospital, placing her in a 'church' where she becomes a 'saint' to the people of Juarez who long for the crimes to end. Mariela appears to the public with the stigmata of bleeding hands and offers hope to the victims' families. Danes works hard to discover evidence that will expose the perpetrators, taking a sheet of photos of 'most wanted men' from the police office of Detective Lauro (Jacob Vargas), and works with the police and Father Herrera to resolve the tragic chain of events that continue in Juarez. Fearing for Mariela's life, they transport her to Los Angeles where mysterious events end the story.

The squeaky, mawkish script was written by Michael Fallon and directed by Kevin James Dobson. Had their vision been more directed toward defining the line between realism and fanaticism, the story would possibly have been better related. There are some good performances by Driver, Talancón, Morales, and Vargas but the minor roles vary in quality. Reporting atrocities such as the one this film addresses is a valid and valuable contribution of contemporary cinema. It is sad when script and the production dull the impact. Grady Harp

I didn't like it

[ept29 · 5/10 · 24 October 2006]

I also don't think the real truth about what is happening in Juarez was told and the part of the girl going to l.a. was ridiculous. would not recommend, they should make a real movie about it, but then again they would run the risk of getting killed. My mother lives in El Paso and she doesn't like to go to Juarez because just last week 2 people got killed at a grocery store. It's getting out of hand. I think the drug lords are the ones scaring everyone from Juarez so they can take over the border city. As I was watching the movie I thought that one of those girls could of been me, just because I used to party over in Jurez from Thursday through Sunday. Thank god nothing happened, that was about 13 years ago. I really hope they fix everything down there, it's a wonderful place to visit and party, I mean was.

serious material done badly

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 26 April 2016]

Juarez is the Mexican city opposite El Paso, Texas. Juarez has become a center of manufacturing by American companies. There has been a spade of murders against young women. L.A. reporter Karina Danes (Minnie Driver) arrives to do a story on the killings. She finds help from Father Herrera (Esai Morales) and activist Patrick (Angus MacFadyen). The police is ineffective. Mariela (Ana Claudia Talancón) survives an attack. She becomes the saintly Virgin of Juarez.

The seriousness of the real situation puts this movie to shame. Of course, it opens with "Inspired by actual events." The movie itself is a silly mess. The actors are perfectly fine. I accept the perfunctory white lead actor. The problem is mainly about the awkward script especially when it's compared to the real story.

Victims deserve a better, clearer voice

[ivan_mexico · 3/10 · 31 July 2006]

"The Virgin of Juarez", recently presented at the New York International Latino Film Festival dealing with kidnapped and murdered women in the Mexican town of Ciudad Juarez, does a terrible job of exploring the deeper issues behind the events and fails miserably in telling the victim's stories. The second half of this film degenerates into an unconvincing, and at times embarrassing Joan of Arc allegory that in the end belittles the subject matter.

Most frustratingly, the actors try their passionate best to present the gravity of the actual events that took place in Juarez, but are overwhelmed by the silly twists and turns that lead to a ridiculous gunfight between parties that in the end have no real involvement in the crimes the movie intends to talk about.

This movie represents a shameful lost opportunity.

Could anyone possibly make a worse movie about the murders in Juarez

[jam9383 · 3/10 · 4 August 2006]

What a bad movie I have never reviewed a movie on IMDb before but this movie is awful. The acting is terrible and the characters are one dimensional. The plot is awful, it is an overdramatization of a terrible situation that is only trivialized by this movie. I would suggest you read a one page article on these murders because it will save your time and give you a better feeling for what is really happening. Any documentary by a five year old would have done a better job of educating and almost any other movie is produced with more thought.

pass on this movie. I wish I could have my time back.

More than awful

[Iwriteitureadit · 1/10 · 20 October 2006]

This movie is a tragedy, because it (Kevin Dobson) had an opportunity to tell a very important story about the horrible murders in Juarez but instead he turned it into a stupid shoot em up farce that has nothing to do with the subject matter. The cast is just stumbling along with this painful script, I know the director is in control and everyone has to work, but my God, did they read this garbage first??? And, poor Angus Macfadyen is so terribly miscast. Why the hell would you cast a Scotsman in the part of a Mexican when all the other Hispanic parts are being played by Hispanics? His inability to pull off a believable accent (Not to mention that bad tan job they did on him) made him look foolish. He's a better actor than this film shows.

Go watch something else.

A great disservice.

[Maxwycisk · 5 August 2006]

This movie is almost as bad as the experience of working on it was - for me, anyway. I think that men with waning careers, such as the director of this movie, should find some sort of an exploitation vehicle to try and remain afloat. To take a true story, where so much innocent blood was - and apparently continues to be - spilled on the streets of Juarez and turn it into a shoot 'em up comic book farce that has zero to do with what actually took place is great disservice to the victims. The story is real, and needs to be told; I am looking forward to the Gregory Nava/Jennifer Lopez vehicle in the works. This movie is very well made, for the means allotted (very low budget), and the cast does an excellent job: too bad the opportunity to bring needed attention to the horrors taking place on our border was wasted by substandard storytelling.

This Movie Outright Sucked!!

[preread007 · 1/10 · 11 November 2006]

I grew up on the Texas/Mexican border a little further south of El Paso/Juarez and what is happening there and Nuevo Laredo is nothing short of tragic. Anyone who thinks this film brings light on this horrible situation must be on drugs. If you are ignorant to what is going on at our borders, this film will only confuse you into believing that this much death could not possibly be true. I watched this film and could look past the "After School Special" directing approach Kevin adopted. I could even look past terrible casting & bad acting but as a Latino growing up in that area, I couldn't help but being offended with the stereotypical way we are portrayed. Growing up as a gang banger in LA with a gang banger lifestyle could not be further than the way I grew up. I guess that is the only way you can portray 1st generation Latinos in this industry and make money. I am not saying those things don't exist but that is not the only way Latinos live in this country. DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM!!! Please read about what is really happening on our borders and how the drug lords have taken over in these areas and educate yourself about the people who are dying everyday. The producers of this film obviously didn't have enough respect for these poor dead women to take this subject seriously.

What were they thinking?

[alsaisto2000 · 2/10 · 6 March 2007]

I was disappointed to see some really good actors attach their names and talents to this class of work (if we can call it that). Minnie Driver is one of my favorite actresses and after seeing her in this film, I was truly let down. She doesn't have the personality of a rough edged reporter that this type of film would require and on top of it all, the story line wasn't developed well. Esai Morales would have played a better part of an OG gang member as opposed to a priest and his younger gangster brother (Noel Gugliemi) butchers the Spanish language in the film. He didn't even use a good gang slang. Who is this guy kidding. Bad choice of the Mexican detective just trying to brave the political winds. Vargas himself belongs in gangster comedies. I'm of the firm opinion, "Find what you do well and work at doing it better than anyone else." I also thought the part played by Angus Macfadyen was a real let down. Come on man.....you have done some great parts in the past (Braveheart, Equilibrium, Saw III). Don't do this to yourself again. Leave the Hispanic roles to the Hispanic actors. Overall, the story was weak and the actors were miscast terribly with the exception of Ana Claudia Talancon. Hopefully she'll be able to live this one down and move on to some better roles.

What a disgrace to all of Mexico........

[matador48 · 1/10 · 27 September 2008]

This movie is a typical glorified Hollywood production that the Americans have yet again screwed up. I don't understand how much pride we always seem to have to take by coming in and saving the day, as is the case with the LA Reporter. It is a true disgrace that this movie has been made into America's very own money driven society, and are always looking to make a little extra not matter the expense to others, such as the unfortunate murders of innocent young women of the Juarez region of Mexico. So to hell with the director of this production. I hope that one day something happens to someone you love, so that someone can come in and make millions off of your loss. Asshole!!

Good effort, worth seeing

[willinone · 8/10 · 15 July 2007]

I thought this was worth my time, a good effort that drew attention to a subject that has been all but ignored in the press. Obviously a work of fiction, none the less I thought it raised some interesting ideas about what might be behind the very real murders of over 500 women in Juarez.

Considering it's small budget the production values were good and the script decent, direction, photography, design, editing were of high standard for a low budget film. The plot moves along well, and kept me interested, certainly more so than many "big budget" films I've seen lately.

Whilst this film is not perfect, (show me one that is), I don't think it deserved some of the negative postings it received, particularly those that seem to be sour grapes from disgruntled crew members. It's a movie folks, not a documentary, and one that might bring some badly needed attention to the hundreds of murders still ongoing in Juarez.

Good effort, worth seeing.

Exploiting Juarez Tragedy was focus here

[rarome · 1/10 · 7 February 2008]

The Juarez tragedy is sad thing to exploit for entertainment. I would love to see a film that really focuses on this tragedy (thousands of women getting raped and murdered for over a decade, for those who don't know)and shows the horrors to gain more awareness and maybe create more dialogue with Mexican authorities and U.S. border authorities. An impactful film ala "Hotel Rwanda", "City of God" or "The Battle of Algiers", which tell the stories of the people living in tragedy. BUT, NO!!! We get another film that for reason decides to tell the Juarez story from East Los Angeles and have a full out Cholo battle with LAPD. Yes people, a gang battle with LAPD in a movie about Juarez, Mexico!!! I have to ask Minnie Driver and Angus Macfadyen, "WHY???!!". She's an Academy Award Nominated actor and she decided to do this. Angus was in "Braveheart"!! I can understand the usual Latin Actor suspects being in this (trying to speak Spanish when most of them didn't, sadly). But Minnie and Angus??!!! Anyway, not sure I'll be giving away any spoilers. Expect some horrible dialogue, bad TV directing and cinematography, bad acting, bad editing, bad story line, many clichés, not caring for characters (except for Isidro played by Jorge Cervera Jr.)and of course gang war with LAPD. Can't forget having a gang shoot out in a Latin themed film, right? The Juarez tragedy is barely touched upon and after veering off completely, all you get is a card at the end giving you some facts. By then I'm sure many have turned to another channel, which I should have done. Well, at least I gave it a chance.

what were they thinking?

[karas006 · 1/10 · 21 February 2007]

This movie is quite possible the worse movie i have ever seen. Me being a native from the area wanted to see this really bad and what i got was a total disappointment. The acting is awful, the story is ridiculously lame, and the locations of the movie are not well thought. I have been to Juarez many times and what they show doesn't seems to portray what Juarez really looks like. The victims of the never ending tragedy happening in Juarez deserve better story tellers and better movies. They don't need stories or in this case a movie, that tries to find justice in Religion propaganda. This was a waste of time and money, assuming they used some. I say this is definitely in the top 10 of worse movies ever.

Virgin of Juarez synopsis.

[Jackie90069 · 10/10 · 30 April 2006]

Great movie. Superb direction by Director/Producer Kevin James Dobson. Good for him for selecting this subject in order to raise awareness of these horrid events that have still been taking place on the border of El Paso Texas, in Juarez, Mexico. Currently at Film Fesitval nationwide. Great photo-doubling ;).

Journalist, Katrina (played by Minnie Driver), attempts to uncover the mystery behind the Juarez murders and subsequent burial in a vast field on the outskirts of town, of young girls (based on current true story). Looking forward to seeing the next Kevin Dobson project!

Excellent story well told

[khermit · 10/10 · 4 September 2006]

I also saw The Virgin of Juarez at The Latino Film Fest. What is it with these negative comments? I really enjoyed the movie for what it was. Maybe it didn't fit into the box some people wanted it to but it is an art film. I highly recommend this film to anyone. Minnie Driver is excellent and all the cast did a wonderful job. It should play in every movie theater in the country. I will be buying the DVD and recommending it to all my friends. The script may have benefited from a little more work but that is being very critical. If you haven't seen it you should. I really liked the pacing of the film and the way it switched around from Juarez to Los Angeles. i had no idea about the murders down there and this film opened my eyes to a very significant problem.

Well worth watching

[mdjproductions · 8/10 · 15 August 2012]

Beautifully shot, fabulous soundtrack, lovely editing. The director Kevin Dobson's work always has a wonderful sense of movement and feeling, He has a great cinematic sense of pace. Well cast. Some of the reviews I've read are outrageous!!! Sounds more like a bitter and twisted crew member, with a small brain. Grips aren't necessarily known for their brain power, more for brawn and pretty blouses. Took me to Mexico and back, somewhere I've always wanted to go, and showed the culture beautifully. It's a small budget independent film, and well worth a look. Some really fabulous moments. I've seen a thousand worse huge budget movies. The Jlo and Gregory Nava movie about exactly the same subject had a massive budget and was boring and slow.

Brought the suffering to my attention.

[janakiema · 10/10 · 5 October 2021]

This film although not a great classic brought this sadness and suffering to my attention. For this I give it 10. The film itself probably rates a 7. But I will give it 8 just for casting Minnie Driver who is awesome. It is always good to highlight the evil in this world, if only to remind people it's not good enough.

Mexico!

[chraluns · 10/10 · 22 December 2023]

This is a movie about human trafficking women. The writing and direction is spectacular. It's crazy violent and is a must watch for everyone. It also breaks your heart in some places but what can you expect from a human trafficking movie. Watch it especially since this movie came out in like 2006 and the topic is talked about in 2023. The blood in this movie is exquisite. You feel like you're in the movie. Now the subject of the film is quite dark, but it was done so well. The director and actors should feel real proud for the work that was being done in this film. You will feel positive for this film.