Pablo Escobar was a very complicated man. On one hand, he was a drug kingpin who ordered the deaths of thousands of people. On the other, a religious and devoted family man who spent a lot of money to better his community. His story is ripe for a great film. And although some of that complexity is explored in this picture, it is not his story.

This story is about Nick played by Josh Hutcherson, a young Canadian surfer who moves to Colombia with his brother to open a small business on the beach. Nick falls for a local girl, Maria, played by Claudia Traisac, who is the niece of Pablo Escobar. When Nick eventually meets Pablo, he likes him, but it is not long before he begins to understand who Pablo really is and what he is capable of. 

Unfortunately the movie has a non-linear structure, so Pablo and some of his methods are shared very early on and the Nick we meet is already terrified of Pablo. In some ways this sets up the stakes right away, but I wonder if a linear structure where we discover Pablo through Nick's eyes would have been a more effective journey.

In any case, Pablo as played by Benicio Del Toro is mesmerizing. He commands the screen whenever he is on it and you can't take your eyes off of him. And he plays the dichotomy of the man very well despite his limited screen time. Pablo is clearly a devoted family man and will do anything for that family. But nothing will stop him from taking care of his business. And when the government closes in, he tightens his inner circle and makes some very bold choices. This is a brilliant performance worthy of another film that tells the whole story.

Josh Hutcherson is effective as Nick and capably carries the picture. His character is perhaps a bit too naïve just showing up in Colombia with his brother and thinking they can start some kind of successful Hippie business. But the story is told well and when the suspense starts, writer Francesca Marciano and co-writer/director Andrea Di Stefano really know how to play with tension and tighten the screws on Nick's circumstances. 

All in all, ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST is an effective thriller with an awards worthy performance by Benicio Del Toro. I hope that this picture's limited release doesn't cause it to be lost in the shuffle come Oscar time because Del Toro is that good. And while the picture is not great, it's one of the better ones I've seen this year and definitely worth watching.