It is rare when a film about a real life notorious monster can be offered in a biographical film that pulls the audience in to see all aspects of the character. Virginia Vallejo's book about the notorious drug lord of Colombia - Pablo Escobar - so aptly titled LOVING PABLO, HATING ESCOBAR - did that and she co-authored the script with Director Fernando León de Aranoa. The result is the same. It is a see all hear all examination by a journalist strikes up a romantic relationship with notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The story has been well outlined - 'In 1981, Virginia Vallejo (Penélope Cruz) is a famous Colombia's journalist and TV news anchorwoman who is invited to a VIPs party in the ranch of Pablo Escobar (Javier Bardem) a low-born man who gained money and power with drug trafficking together his friends, turning them in the new generation of rich men of the country. Seduced by his charisma, Virginia starts a passionate love affair with Escobar despite he's a family man married with María Victoria (Julieth Restrepo). Along the 80's years, Escobar becomes famous in his try to better the life of the low-born people of Medellín and raising a politician carrier in the Colombia's congress, but Virginia starts to understand Escobar's real power controlling an empire of crime in Colombia and spreading his drug by all USA. It causes that the DEA's agent Shepard (Peter Sarsgaard) interests by his business and by Virginia, contacting her looking for a way to stop him. With the President Belisario Betancur allying with USA to stop Escobar and extradite him to judge outside Colombia, this last one starts a war in the country to eliminate all his enemies, politicians and non-politicians, unleashing his thirst for blood and his ambition to rule everything. Virginia, seeing as her carrier and her reputation are destroyed by Escobar, faces a extreme situation: to die at the hands of Escobar or by his enemies as an act of reprisal, or save herself helping Shepard to stop Escobar before he kills her.'
Javier Bardem (apparently required to add fat to his character's body) is superb as is Penélope Cruz. The minor roles are very well played and while the crossover between Spanish and English confuses everyone no matter their linguistic skills, the story works on every level.
The story has been well outlined - 'In 1981, Virginia Vallejo (Penélope Cruz) is a famous Colombia's journalist and TV news anchorwoman who is invited to a VIPs party in the ranch of Pablo Escobar (Javier Bardem) a low-born man who gained money and power with drug trafficking together his friends, turning them in the new generation of rich men of the country. Seduced by his charisma, Virginia starts a passionate love affair with Escobar despite he's a family man married with María Victoria (Julieth Restrepo). Along the 80's years, Escobar becomes famous in his try to better the life of the low-born people of Medellín and raising a politician carrier in the Colombia's congress, but Virginia starts to understand Escobar's real power controlling an empire of crime in Colombia and spreading his drug by all USA. It causes that the DEA's agent Shepard (Peter Sarsgaard) interests by his business and by Virginia, contacting her looking for a way to stop him. With the President Belisario Betancur allying with USA to stop Escobar and extradite him to judge outside Colombia, this last one starts a war in the country to eliminate all his enemies, politicians and non-politicians, unleashing his thirst for blood and his ambition to rule everything. Virginia, seeing as her carrier and her reputation are destroyed by Escobar, faces a extreme situation: to die at the hands of Escobar or by his enemies as an act of reprisal, or save herself helping Shepard to stop Escobar before he kills her.'
Javier Bardem (apparently required to add fat to his character's body) is superb as is Penélope Cruz. The minor roles are very well played and while the crossover between Spanish and English confuses everyone no matter their linguistic skills, the story works on every level.