If you are looking for escapism, don't even think about watching this film. It is excellent, but it will chill your bones.
Here's the premise of the film: Gabriela, a pretty and upstanding young schoolteacher, receives a phone call to find out that her beloved fiancé, a judge dedicated to stamping out corruption, has been brutally murdered. The film's depiction of the aftermath of the murder is merciless and tragic, from the shots of the mutilated body to the scenes of Gabriela's shattering grief.
The next morning, wandering around in a fog, Gabriela finds that a local tabloid (in Lima) has published that her husband was killed during a drunken orgy with his secret male lovers. She storms the tabloid offices and throws a fit. In the process she becomes friends with the journalist who wrote the article, a jaded young woman about her age with a taste for drinking and casual sex who appears to be Gabriela's exact opposite.
Over a bottle of pisco, the grief-stricken schoolteacher vows to avenge her fiancé's death. Her journey takes her through a series of twists and turns that range from comic to horrifying, and straight to the top of Peru's power structure. That is all I can reveal, other than that this is a tragic film, not suitable for the faint-hearted, and that the film builds up a powerful head of suspense.
Overall, the performances are excellent, especially Melania Urbina's Gabriela, and the film is very well shot, full of gritty Lima street scenes contrasted with luxurious hotels.
Enjoy it, but be prepared.
