LOVING PABLO

Spain, 2018, 123 minutes, Colour.
Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard.
Directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa.


This is a version of the career of Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug dealer from Colombia, indicating his rise from poverty to wealth, his setting up of drug dealing, infiltrating the United States with cocaine in the 1980s and 1990s.

There have been several films about Escobar and a television series, Narcs.

This film is based on a biography by a Colombian television celebrity, Virginia Vallejo, played by Penelope Cruz, who became Escobar’s mistress, enjoying his success, but eventually falling out with him, fearful, threatened, speaking to representatives of the DEA and, publishing her story because Escobar had told her to tell it – but not to whom!

Escobar himself is played by Javier Bardem (who, in real life, is married to Penelope Cruz). The actor is a big man and fills himself out to play the literally larger than life drug lord. He remembers his rise from poverty, and building up his empire with a range of thugs, international deals. And, he engineers his entry into the Colombian parliament – and assassinating politicians who denounced him.

Ultimately, he is imprisoned, living a rather luxurious life, but then confined, attempting to escape, pursued and killed.

There is very little sympathy for Escobar in the way that he is portrayed in this film, his love for his family, his womanising, his ruthless exploitation to promote his empire.


1. Audience interest in Pablo Escobar? Knowledge about him, Colombia, the drug trade, his criminal activities, cocaine infiltrated into the US? As a character in himself, dramatised here, the attitude of the Colombians? Of the Americans?

2. The settings, Colombia in the 1980s and 1990s, the landscapes, the mountains, the crops, the wealthy hacienda, the city of Medellin? Bogota? The parliament, the streets and assassinations? Meals and gatherings? Meetings in Panama? The musical score?

3. The American sequences, highways used as airports, Miami, airports? The DEA?

4. The film as based on the biography by Virginia? The opening, on the plane, with Shepherd, the discussions? The end of the film, her being rescued, her saying Pablo’s biography was to be told by her – but to whom?

5. Virginia in herself, Penelope Cruz, television star, glamour and celebrity, ambitious, the impact of the party, meeting Escobar, fascinated by him? His wife, Virginia as mistress? The money and the glamour, clothes and fashion? Prestige? Her knowledge of what was going on, putting it aside, but the impact of the murders, his giving her the gun? Her being wary, the separation, her being in danger, Escobar confronting her and calling her a bitch? The contact with Shepherd, the meetings and discussions, the interviews? Her fear, going to pawn the jewellery, the gun attack? Getting more information about him, the news about him, going to visit him in prison, concerned for her safety?

6. Escobar, Javier Bardem, the big man, lower class, his enterprise, the crops for the drugs, building up an empire, his henchmen, their violence? The money, the Hacienda, the people visiting, the glamour, the swimming pool? His relationship with his wife, his son, her pregnancy, the daughter? His continued betrayals, her continued fidelity? Growing power, wealth, reputation? Attitude of the American government?

7. Escobar and the money, corruption, power, campaigning to get into the parliament, his success, the speeches, his being denounced, organising the assassination?

8. Getting the drugs to the United States, the links, the plane landing on the freeway, the unloading of the drugs on the tarmac?

9. Going to Panama, his men, the discussions, financial issues? Issues of extradition to the US?

10. Shepherd, the DEA, the television interview with Reagan, Nancy Reagan and drugs? The issues of extradition?

11. The assassinations, the continued and increased violence, against the government and judiciary?

12. The pursuit of Escobar, catching him, putting him in prison but his living in luxury, the visits, his family, Virginia and his attack on her? The episode of wanting to get his daughter the ice cream, but his not being allowed out?

13. The increasing violence in the streets, his associates, his being taken to a more enclosed prison? The wire, electrified, the switch in his room, his escape?

14. The strategies, the drugs in Colombia, going to the United States? Shepherd and the agencies?

15. The family going to Germany, the being stopped, Shepherd’s intervention, the return to Colombia? Kept in the hotel?

16. The family used as bait, Escobar phoning them, the continued tracking, the surrounding of the building? The confrontation, his getting out the window, the shootout?

17. Virginia, safety, the biography?

18. A dramatisation of criminal activity in the 20th century?