Bless Me, Ultima (2013)

70% of critics liked it
(33 reviews)
80% of users liked it
(1,269 ratings)

Director Carl Franklin (One False Move, Devil in a Blue Dress) helmed this adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya's controversial novel about a young boy and the enigmatic healer who opens his eyes to the wonders of the spiritual realm. New Mexico: the early '40s. As the entire world is plunged into… More Director Carl Franklin (One False Move, Devil in a Blue Dress) helmed this adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya's controversial novel about a young boy and the enigmatic healer who opens his eyes to the wonders of the spiritual realm. New Mexico: the early '40s. As the entire world is plunged into war for a second time, Antonio Márez (Luke Ganalon) grapples with the harsh realities all around him. His life is forever changed by the sudden arrival of Ultima (Miriam Colon), a woman with supernatural healing powers, who has come to his family on a mission of kindness. As Ultima inspires Antonio to question authority and see the world from a new perspective, the young boy witnesses a series of seemingly impossible events that have a profound impact on his concepts of divinity and fate. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Directed By: Carl Franklin
Written By: Carl Franklin
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Feb 22, 2013 Limited
Studio: Arenas Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader
Aassured, sensitive, and commendably unpretentious.
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic
The lyrical book is filled with touches of magical realism. On the other hand, the movie is sorely lacking in both magic and realism. It's all very empty and blah.
Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter
An offbeat slice of Americana will intrigue thoughtful moviegoers.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Theater firebrand and big-screen presence Miriam Colon portrays Ultima with a minimum of fuss and a gorgeous supply of elder authority.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Writer-director Carl Franklin offers up a tone of heightened reverence that weighs down the material, but there are small, lovely moments when the magic realism approaches the magical.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
A deeply satisfying feat of storytelling, "Bless Me, Ultima" makes a difficult task look easy.
Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue.com
... bogged down by its deliberate pace, reliance on Catholic symbolism, and its one-dimensional characters.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Weekly
[Director Carl] Franklin is sensitive to the way boys interact, bump chests, bicker, and bond-just as he is to how adults justify their hypocrisy and excuse their failures.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
Erring only slightly on the Hallmark side.
Jamie S. Rich, Oregonian
The low-level magical realism never gels with the coming-of-age drama.
Mike Scott, Times-Picayune
It knows exactly what kind of film it is -- unfortunately, what kind of film it is, is an unimaginatively directed coming-of-age tale with hardly any narrative momentum.
Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews
a profound story told in a deceptively simple way. Deceptive, but curiously suitable for a film about identity, belief, and the nature both good and evil in all their guises.
Jeanne Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan
Based on the novel of the same name by Rudolfo Anaya, "Bless Me, Ultima" is a magical compilation of family, life, death, religion and the meaning of it all.
David Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan
"Bless Me, Ultima" is a beautifully photographed film, but it has a lot of problems...sketchy character development, but the bigger issue is the film's disjointed flow.
John Wirt, Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
The choice to include a ponderous narration violates that basic rule of storytelling: Show rather than tell.
Christian Toto, Big Hollywood
Bless Me, Ultima creates a wholly original coming of age story by blending mysticism with conventional Catholicism.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Although Bless Me, Ultima can feel a bit overstuffed, it's an honest and naturalistic kids' story about growing up Mexican-American.

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Mark H

Bless me Ultima is based on Rudolfo Anaya's widely read and critically acclaimed 1972 novel. A major work of Mexican-American literature in classrooms, it has been contested at times due to its adult language and sympathetic view of the occult. Although the themes of religion vs.… More
Bless me Ultima is based on Rudolfo Anaya's widely read and critically acclaimed 1972 novel. A major work of Mexican-American literature in classrooms, it has been contested at times due to its adult language and sympathetic view of the occult. Although the themes of religion vs. mysticism are addressed, the conflict doesn't really resonate. Actress Miriam Colon is appropriately mysterious and benevolent as Ultima but young actor Luke Ganalon is vague as a character. Given to blank stares as events happens, he fails to truly engage as our lead protagonist. His spiritual development is key to the narrative, but his odyssey seems kind of perfunctory. I suspect the story will probably resound more with people who have read the source text and can fill in the book's deeper handling of Antonio's cultural and ideological struggle. This coming-of-age tale is pleasant enough, but it could've been so much more. fastfilmreviews.wordpress.com

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Cast

Miriam Colon
as Ultima
Luke Ganalon
as Antonio
Benito Martinez
as Gabriel
Dolores Heredia
as Maria
Joaquín Cosio
as Narciso
Castulo Guerra
as Tenorio

Bless Me, Ultima (2013)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Mark H

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