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The Schism Between Physical and Spiritual Love

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 02/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The sexual controversies beleaguering the Catholic Church make this fine little Peruvian film timely. Not unlike the story of 'El Crimen de Padre Amaro', POLVO ENAMORADO explores the crises that occur when priests succumb to the desires of the flesh.

Natalia Rosales (Gianella Neyra) was in a convent as a 17-year-old chaste novitiate when her family 'encouraged' her to marry the well-to-do Matias Rosales (Gustavo Bueno), the Mayor of this small community in Peru. Natalia had consented on one condition: she must remain an untouched virgin. As the story opens Natalia spends most of her day in prayer, in mass, and serves as more of a servant than a wife to her kind and respected husband. Matias loves and desires his wife and resorts to adding sleeping powders to her evening coffee just so that he can observe her and fondle her at night while she is drugged asleep.

Matias' son Percy (Julian Legaspi) is involved in an ongoing fishing dispute with 'poachers' in the waters off the village, but he gradually notices that his 'stepmother' has matured into a beautiful and desirable woman and he, too, observes and covets her while she sleeps. When Natalia discovers that her husband has carnal desires she is terrified and in her usual fashion, confesses to the priest Padre Esteban (Jorge Chiarella) who says it is her obligation to her husband and to God to consummate her marriage.

Enter Padre Santiago, a young handsome priest who comes to the town to replace the retiring Padre Esteban. Physically attracted to the new Padre Santiago, Natalia readdresses her concerns about her husband's advances to Padre Santiago in confession. Padre Santiago reassures her that her body is her own and she may say no if she wishes. This new-found confidence releases Natalia's emotional responses and before long she desires Santiago and they begin an affair despite Padre Santiago's extreme guilt at both breaking his own vow of abstinence and commiting adultery with the Mayor's wife.

Percy hears the town gossip of the possible affair, and after watching the two lovers in bed and warns his father of Natalia's indiscretion. Matias is enraged, throws Percy out of his home, and confronts Natalia and Santiago. During the confrontation Matias is devastated and pleads with Natalia to help him commit suicide and in the insuing rush of emotions Natalia does stab Matias. Both Natalia and her priest lover are convinced that what has happened is not wrong and they dispose of the corpse.
How the town, the church, the family, the couple, and the local police cope with this disintegration of all values is the complex way the movie ends.

The story is well written by Giovanna Pollarolo ('Ojos que no ven', 'Panteleon y las visitadores', 'Cuidad de M', et al) and sensitively directed by Luis Barrios. The level of acting is very fine, especially that of the tortured Paul Vega and the vulnerable Gianella Neyra. The love scenes are provocative with being vulgar and the religious mood of the town is beautifully felt. This is yet another fine Peruvian film, well worth wide attention. Grady Harp, February 2005"

Great! GreaT movie

Nelson M. Lozano | New york | 09/09/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Polvo enamorado is a good mix of ingenuity, religion beliefs and mischief; good good movie"

Good social drama

Ravi D. Lalla | San Jose, CA | 05/10/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is similar to "El Crimen the padre Amarro", in that it exposes the problems with religous celibacy and the issues Women face in societies dominated by such conservative religous beliefs.
Without going into the plot details, I would say it is a believable story. A bit tragic. The principal actors do a good job, but the supporting cast is weak. Cinematography is not at its best. They could have done a much better job. Watch it if you are moved by social issues, don't if you expect all aspects of movie making (techniacl, artistic, plot, execution) to be perfect."