Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014) Reviews

• Great movie, sorry I didn't see it in the theater!! It didn't get enough promotion here!

  urthcreature2016-02-16

  Great psycho-thriller, draws you right in. Loved the understated style, movie manages to suggest what's going on without resorting to grisly torture scenes and other clichés. Most violence is shown after the fact, not too graphic. (Of course not suitable for children.) Great performances, beautifully filmed. If you love Apocalypse Now / Last King of Scotland type films where a mysterious megalomaniac is glimpsed or gradually revealed through the eyes of an outsider, you will probably especially like it (in this case it is just glimpses of Escobar, on one hand the family man, adored by his supporters, and on the other a completely detached and ruthless psychopath.) Of course Benicio del Toro is incredible in the role of Escobar and all the cast are excellent. Unfortunately it seems the title gave some viewers/critics the expectation that the movie should be a biopic of Escobar, and the fact del Toro was so good in the role just left people wanting more. But it is a really good movie nonetheless.

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• The Powerful Reach of Evil

  aharmas2015-06-30

  I went into this film knowing very little about who Escobar was, so I went through an experience similar to the main character in the film, as he realized that he had encountered one of the devil's true incarnations on Earth. Escobar, as portrayed in the film is a figure of mythical proportions, someone whose deeds are really difficult to believe because it seems almost impossible a human being is capable of committing such actions. Del Toro, in a towering performance that is at least worthy of an Oscar nomination, makes Escobar come alive, though they are not very similar physically, but the behavior, the charm, very similar to a snake's, one that you can't ignore or walk away, though you know it's lethal. Escobar in the film grows from just a man who has immense amounts of money at his disposal to someone who commands much power through the darkest of means. The story in the film doesn't dwell on Escobar in biographical terms. It deals with a Canadian young man who happens to fall in love with Maria, Escobar's niece, and little by little, realizes he might have just wandered into a nightmare that will have serious consequences for him and his closest relatives. Nick is welcomed into a world that doesn't make any sense to him, a world populated by people who have amassed insane amounts of money and flaunt it ostentatiously to anyone who attends their social functions. It is obvious they are "new money" because many of the women walk around in outfits that are expensive and mostly having the color gold. They sometimes appear out of place when they are wearing an expensive gown in the middle of the day, or we see outrageous presents given to each other. Eventually Nick discovers how deep the darkness is. He finds some of Escobar's associates washing blood off themselves. He begins to see that some of the looks he's given are a bit on the threatening or intimidating side. It is uncomfortable, and as the situation changes for Escobar, so do the plans he has for Nick. The last third of film deals with the way Nick has to find a way back so safety and escape the worst of fates. This film has some of the most exciting pieces I have seen in 2015, and the tension mounts, as Del Toro's quick directives to dictate Nick's ultimate fate. There are some chilling scenes where we hear Escobar's interactions with his family, while he juggles a change of plans in order to ensure the demise of his enemies. It's not an epic masterpiece, but a good film that shows a dark period in Colombia, the depiction of a monster at his worst, wonderfully played by Del Toro, who is able to show whatever exists in the soul of this complex criminal. If you didn't know anything about this piece of history, you will definitely be interested by the time the film's last frame ends.

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• Great movie, but it was a wasted chance for an 'unforgettable' movie

  athoura_dragon2015-05-19

  After watching a movie like 'Blow' (about George Jung) or Goodfellas (about Henry Hill) this movie seemed horribly irrelevant from Escobar's life. The movie, and plot, are both excellent but the main focus is not Escobar himself, and his story was not fully told but rather a story of this white dude who becomes friends with him and gets in trouble. I think this would have made a great movie if it didn't have the title of "Escobar" because it really isn't a movie about him. Escobar (character) appeared in many other great movies but wasn't the main focus, and that worked. This title, however, is unfair because now this movie will be the main one about Escobar while it shows nothing of him. Hats off to Benicio del Toro, another solid performance!

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• Brutal, Intense and Scene Gripping

  tomjoseph-lyons2015-02-11

  Pablo Escobar the most powerful drug lords in human history. This movies gives you an insight to how he would have been viewed by his family, associates and of course the public of Columbia. You'll find that life is cheap, trust is thin and power is everything. It also leaves you with a questions.. Is the wealth, power and money worth the sacrifice of family, simplicity and freedom? Would recommend you make your own opinion of this movie, personally I found it enthralling and couldn't look away.. If this review helped, please leave a like or what have you. Cheers, Thomas Lyons

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• "Escobar: Paradise Lost" is not a biopic, but it is fresh and very entertaining.

  CleveMan662015-06-27

  Pablo Escobar (1949-1993) was a notorious drug trafficker and leader of Columbia's infamous Medellin drug cartel. He dealt exclusively in cocaine, starting in the mid-1970s. At the height of his power, his cartel controlled 80% of the world's cocaine, smuggling fifteen tons per day, and Escobar himself had an estimated net worth of $30 billion. He maintained his power and his freedom by either bribing or killing his enemies, including those in law enforcement and politics. He also enjoyed the loyalty and support of the mostly poor people in western Columbia who benefited from the many community service projects he funded. In spite of his personal popularity and the strength of his criminal empire, the authorities were closing in when he made a deal with the government in 1991 to surrender himself in exchange for a light sentence in a luxurious prison. Escobar continued his criminal activities from "jail" and ended up escaping after just over a year behind bars. After a year and a half on the run, a U.S.-trained task force of Columbian police found Escobar, shooting and killing him as he tried to get away. Now, imagine marrying into Pablo Escobar's family when it seemed the world was his. That's the story in "Escobar: Paradise Lost" (R, 2:00). Josh Hutcherson (Peeta in "The Hunger Games") stars as Nick Brady, a young man from Canada who follows his older brother to Columbia with dreams of living on the beach. While working as a surfing instructor, he meets a beautiful young woman named Maria (Claudia Traisac)… as in Maria Escobar. By the time Nick learns that Pablo Escobar (Benicio Del Toro) is Maria's uncle, Nick has fallen for her. She knows what her uncle does, but talks about it as if he's just an important businessman who exports their country's most popular product. She doesn't seem to understand the full extent of her uncle's power and brutality and Nick only gradually comes to his own understanding of who "El Patron" really is. Nick marries Maria and is welcomed into the Escobar family with open arms. The couple even moves on to Uncle Pablo's estate. Nick's brother, Dylan (Brady Corbet) and his wife Anne (Ana Girardot), who have a new baby and another one on the way, become very worried for Nick – and for themselves. But Maria isn't like the rest of her family and she is all Nick really cares about. Eventually, even Nick and Maria see that they should be joining Dylan and Anne in leaving the country, but by then, audience members have to ask themselves if it's too late. Most of the film's action takes place in the final couple of days before Escobar surrenders to authorities to begin his prison term. Before he goes away, he has a plan to safeguard his vast wealth and he asks for help from Nick, whom he appears to hold in very high regard. Pablo gives Nick a series of very specific instructions to carry out, which includes asking Nick to do things that he tells Escobar he's never done before. Escobar responds simply, "We all have to make sacrifices, Niko. You can do this." Without spoiling the ending, let me just say that Nick's errand doesn't go according to plan – anyone's plan. "Escobar: Paradise Lost" feels so authentic, I was surprised to learn that it is NOT based on a true story. The film tells a tale that seems very plausible even in its smallest details, based on what we now know about Pablo Escobar and his criminal empire. Basing this film on a real person and real events, but focusing on a fictional main plot leaves writer-director Andrea Di Stefano free to be as creative as she likes with the story – and what a yarn she has spun! The film starts with intensity, allows for good characterization and for the development of the romance between Nick and Maria, then builds to a thrilling third act, while avoiding clichés found in many films of this kind. In short, the audience gets a little education and insight, a heartfelt romance and a harrowing fight for survival, all in a film that's fresh and entertaining from beginning to end. "A"

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