As was pointed out on Roger Ebert’s website, we get a fictionalized tale of a notorious drug lord and one that we see through a protagonist’s viewpoint rather than from that of the storied figure himself. Brian Tallerico on www.rogerebert.com brings up three examples of this. I have only seen one of the movies he references, but I agree with what he is saying with two minor caveats. The movie is My Week with Marilyn and stars a fantastic Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe and a relative newcomer at the time named Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl), who has only gone on to earn back to back Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role nominations, one of which included a win. As an aside, Redmayne should have been nominated for a Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in this movie. The first caveat is that Redmayne’s portrayal of an impressionable 23-year-old journalist named Colin Clark published a novel based on the nine days he spent with, perhaps, the most revered female entertainer of our time, was the most revered female entertainer of our time Oscar-worthy.

Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1) was good, but not great as Nick, the innocent, likable protagonist. There are two caveats: Colin Clark was a real person, whereas Nick was fictionalized. Second, it would have been great to see My Week with Marilyn more from Marilyn’s (Oscar-nominated Michelle Williams) point of view, just as I would have liked to see Escobar: Paradise Lost from Escobar’s (Benicio Del Toro – Traffic, Sicario) point of view. These were the two figures we’ll remember, so if the opportunity is there to showcase their lives and their stories, then I think you should do whatever is necessary to make them THE focal point of the movie. My Week with Marilyn had the pieces in place (better performance from the protagonist, the true story, and a more memorable film), but that should not take away from Del Toro. He was fantastic as Colombia’s most notorious drug kingpin.

Director Andrea Di Stefano’s debut effort is commendable. However, this movie is held together more by its fine acting and its, albeit uneven, script than anything special that she did. If Escobar: Paradise Lost were in a more seasoned director’s hand, the end result likely would have been more substantial than what was delivered. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the main problem with this film was that it was not told from Escobar’s perspective, but rather just some outsider who, yes, became close to the man, but was still just that. An outsider. The other problem with the family is Di Stefano didn’t give it a clear enough direction. Was this a movie about a drug lord? Or was it a love story? Was it a drama? Or was it a cat-and-mouse thriller. It was sort of a combination of all of these things, and rather than a result of doing one or two things well, it kind of fell short in each of these different areas.

We first meet Nick in 1991 Colombia. It is present-day, and he is among a group of men who, like him, either revere or are terrified of El Patron (Del Toro). It is probably a combination of both. I don’t think you can revere Escobar while still not being terrified of him. Though he is a likable, family man who can and wants to engage with you, he’s got no problem killing you if he deems you to be a threat to him or his operation. He’s done it before, and he’ll do it again. Only a fool would believe that they wouldn’t be taken out if put in his cross-hairs. Escobar tells the men that he’s agreed to turn himself in the next day to the authorities, but he needs some stuff to be done that night first. Right away, Nick stands out as the guy who doesn’t fit in. He’s not Colombian. He doesn’t even really speak Spanish. He’s just this young, skinny white kid who looks like he is about to pee himself when Escobar tells him what he needs him to do. And we wonder instantly why Nick is with this group of men. Even as a naive audience member who is just being introduced to this movie, we know he is not in the same league as Escobar. At first, I thought he might be some sort of drug informant but quickly dismissed that idea. Escobar (or, frankly, any character portrayed by Del Toro) wouldn’t be that stupid. So who is this Nick?

Nick is a Canadian surfer who moves down to the picturesque Colombian coastline to teach surfing lessons with his older brother Dylan (Brady Corbet –Melancholia, Thirteen). They live in a shack just off the beach. Dylan cooks. Nick surfs. Both boys are lovers of life without a care in the world. So if life is so grand, how does Nick get involved with such a corrupt man? Well…he falls in love with his niece. The beautiful Colombian Maria (Claudia Traisac) is the object of Nick’s affection, and it isn’t long before the two are head over heels in love. At this point, we are about halfway through, and I told a friend that I was watching a romance that I believed would turn into a revenge movie. Well, I was half right. Maria is very close to her uncle, “El Patron,” and it isn’t long before she is introducing the two men. And before we know it, Nick is deeply entrenched in Escobar’s world. Though not a soldier himself, Nick is aware of all of Escobar’s dealings. While very charming and affable with his family and acquaintances, the closer he grows to Nick, the darker his tone becomes, and the more serious the conversations are. Escobar is confident with his probing eyes and scathing words that know just how to sear. And the more rooted Nick and Maria become, the more Escobar keeps Nick close. And as with all big-time drug operations, it’s only a matter of time before the authorities come creeping in. This is where we get to the meat and bones of the story. And, for me, this wouldn’t be a huge deal if it wasn’t a massive detour from where I thought the movie was heading. I wouldn’t say that it was a complete shift in storytelling because we still had the same actors who had the same hopes, fears, dreams, etc., but the movie’s pace changed, as did the abilities of some of the characters. I could see this as a big reason why it got so many mixed reviews from the critics.

Hutcherson’s Nick is a far cry from the Peeta that we recognize from The Hunger Games franchise. I’ve seen all four movies in that franchise and still watched all of Escobar: Paradise Lost. I knew I recognized the actor, but I couldn’t tell from what. He was good as the naive foreigner and held his own in the scenes with Del Toro. But Del Toro is the entire reason to see this film. The darker that the character is, the better he is. He was absolute dynamite in Sicario, and he is fantastic here. I wish the story had been centered more on him or told from his point of view. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the film and would recommend it.

Plot 7/10
Character Development 7.5/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 8/10
Screenplay 7/10
Directing  6/10
Cinematography 8/10
Sound 8/10
Hook and Reel 8/10
Universal Relevance 8/10
73.5%

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