StyleSk8r
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Nick Redmon
This movie invokes an emotional response to immigration. I was on the edge of my seat during the movie. This film portrays a real story and is not Hollywoodized or anything. As a teacher I will show this film in class as we discuss the gritty issue of immigration. I hope my students will feel more compassion for Latino immigrants after watching this film, and see another side of the issue. A sequel should be made. I don't want to give any spoilers away - so I will keep this review strictly on the film overview. The scenes felt real, because the crew went into sketchy areas of LA to film specific scenes. The compassion the father has for his son is outstandingly portrayed in the actor's acting. The film has a great ending.
Terry Peck
It's hard to believe that a film as good as this could gross so little money. I suppose it has to be remembered it cost almost nothing to make. And people avoid subtitled films.All the actors are believable and consciously contribute to the overall arc of the film instead of trying to put on a performance. I put this down to the efforts of the director who made sure to keep the story and the message ever in focus. But the story is so delicately and warmly told that the message never seems pushed.The business of America is business, and you can't help but ruminate about the whys of those who do so much to prevent good people subsidising their country's success, but of course, illegals are illegals.The brilliance of this film is that you forget all the politics and rights and wrongs and just want things to go well for every "white hat" illegal, and that's most of them - all the while knowing things are probably doomed.It's a melodrama, true, just like life, and wanting a better life is something so basic we can all relate to the struggle. Yet, when you have so much and these guys so little, do we relate or only think we do? Sympathy or empathy? I know I don't have a right to the latter.The alternate feelings of closeness and distance never leave you.
meetallica
That movie was better than i thought. Movie contains different kind of characters. Surprisingly that movie is not like action movie at all. Kind of stable movie. Tells about migrants. Tells about the past of the one migrant which is not colorful. The movie is so fluent so it finishes in the twinkling of an eye so when the movie ended i wished there had no end of the movie because i started to watch and like a one minute later the movie ended. I couldn't realize the time. I felt little bit sad it touched my heart in some ways. There is good example to exemplify the relation between father and son additionally good example how to get over from all the difficulties of life. After all it deserves to be watched. At the beginning of the movie i thought it was just a wastage of time but just after it begun i realized that it was worth to be watched.
bdgill12
Carlos Galindo (Demian Bichir) wants nothing more than to provide his son, Luis (Jose Julian), with the life he himself never had. An illegal alien who has lived in the US for many years, Carlos works as a gardener and keeps his head down, always mindful of what deportation would mean for his son. Luis, meanwhile, is a typically rebellious teenager who doesn't understand or appreciate his father's sacrifices and who is on the brink of joining the local gang. When Carlos' boss planning to leave the gardening business and head home, he offers to sell his truck and equipment to his loyal employee. Desperate to make something happen for himself, Carlos accepts the offer and goes into business for himself, a risk he normally would not take. But when the truck is stolen by a day laborer, Carlos and Luis go on a journey to recover their property and in the process, rebuild the relationship that they've both sorely missed.I think it was a surprise to many to find Demian Bichir's name among those nominated for Best Actor at this year's Academy Awards. On a list that includes Gary Oldman, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and eventual winner Jean Dujardin, Bichir seemed a bit out of place, especially considering some of the great work done by accomplished actors who were not recognized by the academy (Ryan Gosling, Michael Shannon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, etc.). This is one of those situations, however, that demands a viewing before judgment because, having now seen A Better Life, I can certainly understand the Academy's decision. Simply put, this is a heartfelt, power house performance by an actor that perfectly embodies his role. Carlos encapsulates elements of heartbreak and hope, misfortune and motivation and in doing so creates a deeply layered and personal portrayal. Bichir plays Carlos with subtlety, acting as much with his eyes as with his words, giving notice of the internal conflict waging within the man throughout his various struggles. It is truly an outstanding performance and one that carries significant weight.The rest of A Better Life, though, doesn't quite measure up to the brilliance of the lead performer. Many of the early scenes come off as manufactured rather than organic, a polar opposite to the path that Bichir takes with his character. It is too earnest at times and that could cause cynical jerks like me to bail on the film before it ever really gets going. To be fair, A Better Life gets better as it goes and eventually leaves the safety of borderline-manipulative Oscar bait behind in favor of a more genuine tone but in some ways that makes the first act even more frustrating. There are also a handful of scenes that could have been edited out or restructured more purposefully and many of Bichir's colleagues fail to deliver at a compatible level with the film's star. Julian shows flashes of excellence but overall I found his performance to be spotty and less-than believable. I can't say whether the blame for this rests on Julian or the film's director, Chris Weitz, but the dynamic between father and son didn't always deliver. It would have been interesting to see Bichir go toe-to-toe with a more challenging co-star, similar to the interactions between George Clooney and Shailene Woodley in The Descendants. What saves A Better Life from becoming yet another independent film that doesn't live up to the strength of its leading performer is the conclusion. Weitz saves his best work for last, creating a stirring, emotional scene in the very end in which Bichir delivers beautifully and which exhibits the very best of the relationship between Carlos and Luis. It is a hopeful, impactful finale that covers over the film's previous missteps and allowed me to leave with a higher opinion of the film than I might have had otherwise. The result is a good movie highlighted my one fantastic performance and brought home by one stirring scene.Please see my reviews at thesoapboxoffice.blogspot.com
