If your knowledge of Pablo Escobar only comes from what is printed in the history books or delivered through a documentary on the rise and fall of Colombia's cocaine kingpin, Nicholas Entel's wonderful documentary, "Sins of My Father" will likely be come as somewhat of a shocker. In just 90 minutes, Entel shatters expectations and reaffirms sad truths about Escobar through the saga of Sebastian Marroquin, an engineer in his mid 30s living in Argentina. Marroquin along with his mother is forever banished from his home country of Colombia due to Escobar's infamy, and Marroquin is a man full of unwarranted guilt, a result of being born Juan Pablo Escobar Jr.

Entel's documentary is tasked with not only telling Marroquin's story and desire to reach out to the sons of politicians his father ordered murdered, but also painting an objective portrait of Escobar as a real human being, instead of the abstract monster history has remembered him as. Shockingly, it is very easy and yet, disturbing to see Escobar was a man who loved his family. Given access to family photos and home movies, Entel allows Marroquin to tell of growing up incredibly wealthy in an impoverished country and as years passed, slowly beginning to find out your father is not the same man he is at home. Entel wisely lulls viewers into a sense of near acceptance of Escobar, supplementing Marroquin's stories of a loving, caring, devoted father, who was willing to do anything he could for his family, with the humanitarian deeds committed by Escobar, including tearing down a dilapidated shanty town and replacing it with thousands of permanent homes for the resident's of that particular area.

However, just as Marroquin learned, Escobar's violent business takes the forefront, beginning with the ordered murders of a handful of political rivals. It's hear where Entel opens the floor for Marroquin to make his first move to overcome the stigma and shame of his notorious father, by writing a truly moving, heartfelt letter to the sons of the assassinated, asking them to essentially forgive him for being born to the man responsible for so much pain and fear. It's at this point in the film, where Entel shows a few signs of struggling to keep things on course, but only slightly. Bringing in new subjects to interview results in a more hurried, sometimes muddled view of history. When the film finally wraps up, there's a strong feeling that Entel could have edited the program a bit more tightly, as Marroquin's recollections keep going back to how he still struggles understanding the man he knew with the man responsible for death and destruction.

"Sins of My Father" is ultimately, not the easiest program to watch as Marroquin's personal shame and pain are heartbreaking. Escobar's widow and Marroquin's mother turns up in a few places and confirms the sad truths her son reveals, but is never as open or blunt regarding her husband's criminal activities. Also slightly disappointing, but a possible result of the program's production date was the lack of any mention of a recent scandal involving a rapper trying to piggyback off of Marroquin's birth name. Alas, all are minor quibbles, but there are enough to make "Sins of My Father" an imperfect documentary, but one still very much worth seeing.

The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is above average at best, with a fair amount of light, but noticeable digital noise present during modern day interviews and segments. A lot of archival footage is used and a few segments are particularly unpleasant looking, the understandable result of 1980s VHS tape. Colors run a bit on the hot side of the spectrum, which can initially be distracting, but once the story engages the viewer, the focus is on the narrative, not the visual.

The Audio

The Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is very much a gussied up stereo track, lacking real dynamic range, only showing off its advantage when the musical score kicks in. Dialogue is clear and distortion free fortunately. English subtitles are provided and definitely the preferred method of watching the program. An English dub is provided but appears to cut out some narrative and is incredibly stiff.

The Extras

The only extras are dual commentary tracks from director Entel in Spanish and English. There are no subtitles for the Spanish track, so I can only comment on the English offering. It's a good compliment to the man feature, but can be a little dry at times. I suspect Entel is much more comfortable in Spanish and it would be interesting to know how much the two tracks differ in content.

Final Thoughts

Whether you have an interest in Pablo Escobar or not is irrelevant, as Nicholas Entel's "Sins of My Fathers" is more the story of a boy affected 30-odd years later by the actions of a man who loved him unconditionally. It's an affecting look at the burden of guilt and the healing process, bringing in those affected in a completely different way by Escobar, resulting in a final product that is informative and moving, despite a few rough patches towards the end. Recommended.