Richelieu--Movie Review For Vancouver International Film Festival--Solid Performance By Ariane Castellanos

There has been a fair share of movies based on workers who are mistreated and overworked by their employers, the difference maker here is that we are seeing things from a different viewpoint.

Ariane(Ariane Castellanos-above) is brought in to be a translator for the Guadamalin workers to better help everyone, or so she thought.

When she sees that they are being exploited for their labor and with the constant threat of being sent home on a moment's notice, on top of the ongoing verbal abuse they keep suffering, she decides, enough is enough.

 

One young man  Manuel Morales (Nelson Coronado-above) risks his health and the constant pains from shoveling into the early mornings, even after he is brought to the hospital throwing up blood. They wake him a few days later in the middle of the night for some overtime work.

His inability to read & write forces him to sign a document stating that he is responsible for the hospital bill, which is in the thousands of dollars.

Ariane is really forced to make a choice between her job and the proper treatment of the workers, she is given an ultimatum by her boss Stephane(Marc-André Grondin-above, right)who is really empathetic to a point when his job is on the line, all bets are off. He's not playing nice anymore, Ariane has no choice but to put her job on the line for what she feels is right

This is a really solid film, led by a great performance from Ariane Castellanos, she is a true powerhouse in every scene. She is compassionate and you can feel her sense of urgency as she is facing some obstacles of her own at home. She's had to move back home with her mother as her finances are not what they used to be, never feeling sorry for herself, she keeps going to a job that just sees her as another number, or check to sign.