Hotel colonial (D)

Early one morning, Marco (John Savage), an Italo-American living in America, is awoken by a phone call delivering the news of his brother’s death, Luca, a shady character involved in the Italian mafia and terrorism. Marco heads to Bogota, Columbia, where his brother allegedly committed suicide, in order to identify the body and bring him home. However, all is not what it seems when Marco discovers the body is not his brother’s and the suicide may be a murder. Marco is determined to find his brother, and based on a few clues that point him to a small village in remote Columbia, and knowledge of his brothers’ various aliases and his involvement in drug trafficking, he begins the journey of unravelling the truth. Throughout the search, Marco meets a few characters, becomes acquainted with the locals and learns to appreciate the innocence, natural beauty though indisputable poverty of this small Columbian village. However, upon closer inspection of his environment, Marco also sees the evil, corruption and exploitation that transpire in this small village. It’s only in the depths of this dark and uncivilised land that Marco confronts the true and shocking reality of his brother’s whereabouts, and that he learns its corruption is inseparable from the activities of his own flesh and blood. Despite its cliched plot scenarios and mediocre performances, “Hotel Colonial” shows some genuine concern for the plight of South American peoples though from the perspective of a white American male. Cast also includes Robert Duvall and Rachel Ward. SOME SCENES MAY DISTURB.