The Absence of Eden Review – Both Flawed and Flawless

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Category: Haute This Issue

Published on Thursday, 18 April 2024 10:31

Written by Janet Walker

The Absence of Eden, from Roadside Attractions and Vertical, presents an explosive immigrant drama that follows a young woman forced from one slavery existence to another as she runs for her life hoping to escape after killing a cartel hitman.

The film begins with Esmee, played by Zoe Saldana, performing a private lap dance. He gets handsy, and as she continues to talk him down, he becomes enraged over being denied. We hear a gunshot and realize she has murdered this man.

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This sets off a frantic race against time as she attempts to locate a trafficker, negotiate a price, and disappear into the hidden places where undocumented immigrants hide during transport. Once inside this hell, she, as a beautiful young woman, is subject to potential sexual violence, physical abuse, it is a desperate plight for any undocumented female.

Guided by a ruthless Coyote and a group of undocumented immigrants, she befriends a young mother and her daughter along the way. Before crossing the border, the mother is taken from the group, and Esmee promises to protect her daughter and help them reunite again in America, touching off an interlocking story about people struggling to survive on America's border with Mexico.

During this time, we also meet the local Immigration Enforcement officers, who are charged with tracking and expelling undocumented immigrants. We meet Shipp, played by Garrett Hudland, on his first tour of duty with ICE, and his seasoned partner Dobbins, played by Chris Coy.

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This dusty border town of south Texas is a lonely place for an ICE Agent newbie and plenty of Mexican beauties with new identities, and life stories that cover their dark and illegal past. Soon Shipp meets Yadira, played by Adria Arjona, and with smooth words she plots a seduction and he, lonely, lost, and susceptible to her charms. Dobbins, who suspects something is amiss casually asks Shipp to double date. After the evening, Yadira's story begins to unravel.

By this time, Esmee, has made it across the border and because she could speak English was given a maid's job in a local hotel, which doubles as a front for drug distribution, and employes illegals. And her dreams of escape vanished as she realized the only thing she escaped was location. Hell remained.

As Shipp looks for Yadira he stumbles on the hotel, and Esmee, and suddenly the fight becomes survival for both.

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The Absence of Eden is a mixed bag of both flawed and flawless. What is perfection and resonated is Zoe Saldana mastery with accents; her Spanish in this film is perfect, as one would expect, however, I have seen her speak multiple languages, with authenticity, in other films. The acting is strong, and the ensemble creates heightened suspense. Also, the plight of the undocumented is vivid and distressing and brings to the forefront the violation of human rights.

The movie, however, is flawed. There are minor nuances missing in the beginning, we don't realize the gravity from the murder, as the killing of a cartel member creates an entirely different scope. And for the director's choice to darken or colorize Zoe Saldana's skin is so obvious it's distracting.

The Absence of Eden is playing in theaters. I say, save it for streaming.

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Country: U.S.

Language: English, Spanish with English subtitles.

Runtime: 85 minutes.

Director: Marco Perego.

Executive Producer: Martin Scorsese.

Writer: Marco Perego, Rick Rapoza.

Producer: Zoe Saldaña, Karl Herrmann, Robert Kravis, Alexandra Milchan, Marco Perego, Julie Yorn, Rick Yorn.

Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Garrett Hedlund, Adria Arjona, Chris Coy, Morningstar Angeline, Luce Rains, Clint Obenchain, Martin Palmer, Maeve Garay, David Bortolucci, Noah Ziggy James, Carma Harvey, Esodie Geiger, David DeLao, Vincent Fuentes, Sophia Hammons, Sarah Minnich, Tom Waits.