Visitors Review

lourensini (2012-05-26 06:30)

I didn't wanted it to end...

What would we do for a better life? How much would we suffer to give itto people we love? How many times would we get up after the fall? Forpeople like me, who never had to crack my ass off working to pay bills,never needed to take care of anyone, I can only see myself in JoséJulián character, Luis. Because my mother and father has to, and stillhave to hold things on to provide to me what tey didn't have when theywere young. And for this, I see them on Demián Bichir character, CarlosGalino, which he does AMAZING, by the way.Better life get an unknown actor and put him to perform on of the bestcharacters i've ever seen. Carlos Galindo ain't just a character, he isreal, he does exist, by different names from different countries andnations.Not every actor in this movie is as great as Demián Bichir, but theystill leave they're marks, like Gabriel Chavarria as Ramón.The writing is amazing, the Mexican gangsta accents were prettyinteresting for me to hear, since the difficulty any person who speaksEnglish would have to understand them. But coming back to the written,it is clear and clearly represents an simple 4 old boy and his hardworker father. All other characters also were well represented and theypersonality exposed.What was the BEST about this movie was it's soundtrack. It's juststunning! and you don't have to pay much attention to note it. To bad Icouldn't find anywhere to download it. Because it worth it to hearagain, as the original as the other tracks. It's brilliantly placedwhen needed. Can't, and don need to talk much about, because this movieis a Must See, so you'll face this amazing soundtrack just like I did.The photography is clear and also creates a drama atmosphere. Dramawhich could not always get me by surprise, thanks to those closes onobjects, denouncing whats gonna happen in the following moments. Buteven thou it could take me by surprise giving to those characters oneproblem after another to take care.Another issue was when it finished. I just though "already?". This kindof movie really deserves a little bit more of time to develop.ACtually, it had has it's develop. But I wanted to see more.Since not everyone has much idea about how much crapp an illegalimmigrant has to go through. And the humanity, humility and strenghCarlos Galino shows it's just jealously. We should watch at this movieas an anthropology class, not just a drama movie, there's thousands ofdramas about love we can see if the idea is just felling sick a littlebit.A Better Life it a must see. Seet it.

Hellmant (2012-05-25 13:59)

Bichir's performance is the heart of the film and it's backbone!

'A BETTER LIFE': Four Stars (Out of Five) Chris Weitz directed this inspiring drama about an illegal immigrantfrom Mexico trying to make 'a better life' for his teenage son. Weitzis the director (and co-director, with brother Paul at times) of suchpopular films as 'AMERICAN PIE', 'ABOUT A BOY', 'THE GOLDEN COMPASS'and 'THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON'. The screenplay was written by EricEason and based on a story originally titled 'The Gardener' by Roger L.Simon. Star Demian Bichir was nominated for an Oscar for his work andis the highlight of this powerfully moving father-son tale.Bichir plays Carlos Galindo, a gardener who's employer, Blasco (JoaquinCosio), constantly tries to convince him to buy his truck and business.When Carlos's sister Anita (Dolores Heredia) loans him the $12,000 heneeds to buy the truck, and gardening tools, Carlos finally sees a wayto provide a better future for his son Luis (Jose Julian), who has beenstruggling in school and began to get involved in crime. When Carlos'struck is stolen, right off the bat, he and his son go on an adventureto get it back.The movie is heartbreaking and hard to watch at times but it's alsovery moving and inspiring at other times. Thanks in large part to awell written and emotional script as well as topnotch directing from aWeitz brother once again. Bichir's performance is the heart of the filmthough and it's backbone. His award acclaim is very much deserved.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KzFGXKpG30

planktonrules (2012-05-25 00:19)

Compelling no matter what your feelings are about illegal aliens.

This film is a reworking of the plot from Vittorio De Sica's classicfilm, "The Bicycle Thief"--though not in its entirety. It's more likethe bicycle thief AND a film about a family of illegal immigrantscombined. It's a nice combination, actually, as it gives wonderfulinsight into their plight and humanizes them--though it is certainly atopic that has HUGELY divergent opinions. Well, I think that mostfolks, regardless of their feelings about these folks, will enjoy thefilm, as it's very well made and tugs at your heart.The film begins with Carlos (Demián Bichir) working his butt off doinggardening work in affluent neighborhoods around Los Angeles. He worksjust about every day and is nearly killing himself trying to providefor himself and his teenage son, Luis (José Julián). There are two mainplots in the first portion of the film--Carlos wants to buy his owntruck and start his own business (a very risky thing--especially ashe's in the country illegally) and Luis is drifting towards becoming ayoung punk. However, both of their lives are interrupted by atragedy--and in comes the De Sica plot. Where it all leads is very sadand touching, though in an interesting twist, the boy seems to beheaded in a better direction in his life as the film ends. I know I amvery vague--but I really don't want to say more and spoil it.I noticed that Bichir received an Oscar nomination for his performanceand that is why I rented the film. He was quite good, though his rolewas an odd one for an Oscar, as he's rather quiet throughout the film.It's not the sort of role you'd associate with the award normally, butI assume this is the Academy's way of injecting their opinions into thewhole illegal alien debate. I have not yet seen all the films withnominated Best Actors but I would assume Jean Dujardin is a lock on theaward. He was truly excellent and all the momentum seems to be goinghis way at the moment. Still, "A Better Life" is a very goodfilm--nearly as good as Dujardin's and deserves a wider audience--aswell as more public discussion about what to do about illegals, asthere really aren't any clear answers coming from either side of thedebate.

giora77 (2012-05-24 03:53)

Bichir is excellent, but the movie often misses.

"A Better Life" has a lot of material in order to create a moving andtruly appealing story. It follows the lives of Carlos- an illegal alienworking as a gardener in Los Angeles, and his son Luis. Carlos istrying to set the ground for a better life for his son. He spends hislast savings (including money from his sister, who helps him out) on atruck, hoping to become an independent gardener. This will enable himto save up and hire a lawyer in order to take care of all of thepaperwork needed. Unfortunately, this complex situation isn't enough for the screenwriterto leverage his story into a compelling tale. More than a third of the film focuses on Carlos's efforts to retrievethe truck he had just acquired, which was stolen from him by anotherlaborer he offered a job to one day. This screenwriter's decision mayhave made sense, if the journey to find he truck would have exposed us,the viewers, to the complexities of the lives of illegal aliens in theStates. Instead, most of the characterization remains shallow andunsatisfying. That's too bad, since this subject could have "forced"the viewer to go in depth into such issues, which he/she would ratherswerve off his sight.However, kudos must be given to Bichir, the shining pearl of this film,for expressing Carlos's sincere hopelessness in a situation caused byhopeful decisions. I could really feel the parent in him, his trueconcern for his son- his sole purpose in life. I'm glad he wasrecognized (unbelievably) by the Academy. Hopefully this will jumpstart his career and we'll get to see more of this talented actor.

jotix100 (2012-05-24 08:00)

Life in the promised land

Carlos Galindo is a man that crossed the border to the United Statesseeking a better life for Jose, his teenager son, and himself. Carlosworks for Blasco, also an undocumented Mexican, who wants to retirefrom gardening. When Carlos is offered the truck, a necessary tool forhis type of job, he sees the opportunity to improve his life. Afterall, working for himself, he figures will be better than working for asalary. Carlos jumps at the opportunity.Jose, the son, is not having an easy time. As a young man in the ganginfested neighborhoods of Los Angeles, he is constantly taunted by hispeers, trying to get him to join the gang. His sweetheart's family isinvolved with the tough guys of the 'hood. All Jose would like to do isto play soccer.The only hope for Carlos is to borrow the money from his sister. She,in turn, has been hiding the money for other things, but she sees inCarlos' ambition a ray of hope that he will succeed in getting ahead.After the truck is secured, Carlos figures he and Jose will soon beginto see the benefits of his hard work.Unfortunately, fate intervenes in Carlos' dreams; his truck is stolen.Carlos cannot go to the police because his own immigration status. Howcan he tell the authorities he has devoted his life to hard work andtrying to give Jose what he did not have? Trying to find the thief,proves to be his own downfall because the system works against Carlos."A Better Life" is a well felt film that brought to mind Vittorio DeSica's masterpiece "Bicycle Thief" that deals on a similar subject, ina different way. Directed by Chris Weitz, and based on a screenplay byEric Eason, it is based on a story by Roger Simon. The directorachieves a coup by casting the great Demian Bichir in the role ofCarlos. "A Better Life" is a character study of a poor man trying tomake a life for his son and himself in a country that is not his own.In a way, Carlos is pursuing the American dream, but as a poor,uneducated man, he has almost no opportunities to succeed except byworking the jobs no one wants to do. His dream suddenly turns into anightmare when the vehicle he needs for work is taken away from him. Demian Bichir is the basic reason for watching the film. He makes quitean impression as the Mexican immigrant. Jose Julian, who plays Jose, isnot in the same league as Mr. Bichir, but he does what he can with hischaracter.

joshdestardi (2012-05-23 10:29)

Good movie...but guess what...still skirting the law that others must follow

Yes, these are human beings..with blood and soul, and they have everyright to live and have a good life.But there are laws for a reason, there's a reason Canada won't letpeople with a dui on their driving record into the country: they have asovereign right and duty to protect the people who already live there.Same goes for the United States. Who is crossing the border with whatdisease? Which is a rapist, a murderer or even a pedophile, analcoholic that may drink and drive and kill someone? YOU DON'T know.YOU have to go through a drug test and background check to be employed,the illegal immigrants don't. We cannot just throw our doors open,because any huge unnatural inflation does damage to the environment,the economy (see hospital estimates for treating illegals in Californiaalone) and much more.With that said, the movie was a solid endeavor and the primary actorsdid a fantastic job, much better than some other 'actors' and so-calledmovies currently at the theater. I recommend the movie to others, but Icompletely disagree with the political message weaved throughout.

rainbow23 (2012-05-23 08:33)

Loved it!

I am not a critic just a lover of movies. This movie almost lost me.Then I kept watching. I usually get bored in the first 10 min. This 1 ikept watching because i knew there was something better to come. I keptwatching and fell in love with the father character. Throughout themovie, he is better than you can ever be. Looking out for his onlychild. His character makes you want to cry. All he does is good and itdoesn't work out exactly ass he had planned. This movie is a 10/10. Iloved it. Thia is a very very good movie. Sry pple it says i need morelines. If u like this maybe you will like crazy/beautiful. I must saytho this is way better. If you can not speak Spanish. It may be hard.Just dl the copy with subs. Once again great movie. The father is hot.but i have a thing for older men. lol.

Lizandro Melean (2012-05-22 13:01)

Neo-realism and Hollywood collide!

Chris Weitz did a screening of this film at SMC, where I study film,and the reactions of the audience were engaging. The room was filledwith a great aura and that was because the screening was filled withpeople with ethnicities from all over the world and that made theexperience a lot more rewarding.This guy is the same one that brought us American Pie and the secondinstallment of the Twilight series? Yes he is, but let me tell yousomething, if these paychecks will make him do more movies like thisone, then bring another 4 twilight adaptations right now! The movie is about "Los Mojados", these people who everyday crosses theborder from Mexico to the US to look for "A Better Life" like the titleimplies, trying not to forget their roots, their culture and at thesame time struggling to find money to pay the rent, to eat and tosurvive in the United States without a SSN and without ID. You willwonder why we need to prove we're not from Mars with a visa if Godalready gave us permission to be here on earth every single second ofthe movie, absurd and unfair things this world has.The acting by Demián Bichir, who looks like a younger Vicente Fernándezto me, is invisible. You sometimes think you're watching a documentaryif it wasn't for the glossy production value of the flick.This movie needs to be seen by a wider audience, you need to look forit. If you do not feel touch by it, you're surely made out of stone.The direction by Chris Weitz captures the essence of East LA in asecond. There's a scene in the movie where in a matter of 3 minutes youcan see how many cultures collide in this side of Los Angeles and howthis story can repeat itself in several cultures.This is also a story about true love between a father and a son, andhow you can forget about everything and try every little thing to giveyour child the things he deserves.One of the best little movies I have seen this year.PS: If you like this one, and you're not afraid of B&W cinematography(no, it is not in 3D either) run and rent De Sica's Umberto D., a greatmasterpiece of Italian neorealism.

(2012-05-21 19:14)

anyone who likes "real' life movies must go see A Better Life!

My husband and I went to see this film. I lived in Whittier for 25years - So. CA. since the 50's and went to L.A. many times and hadfriends who lived difficult lives such as this. We thought the moviewas wonderful and very "real"! I loved how Dad and son related.I'm a pretty simple person and like to watch nice movies - I amdefinitely going to watch this movie again!! The only thing I would change is to make sure I bring a box of Kleenex!I was so moved and hurt I couldn't leave the theater for at least 5minutes!Go see this movie - especially if you like true to life movies - it'sinspiring & loving.God bless everyone who experiences life this way. This movie inspiredme to start praying for all who are in situations like these ones!

Boba_Fett1138 (2012-05-21 10:08)

Putting a human face on illegal immigrants.

Of course it's definitely true that illegal immigrants from Mexicodon't have the best reputation in America, to say the very least. It'sa big problem but of course there always is a very human side to theirstories and not everything is always as black and white as some peoplewould suggest. This movie gives illegal Mexican immigrants a humanface, by telling a very human, subtle, little drama.The movie had all of the ingredients in it to become a formulaic andpredictable drama. It also didn't had a big budget behind it, or anybig names involved, so this movie very easily could had become a veryforgettable and unremarkable one. Yet the movie manages to become waymore than that, by cleverly avoiding most of the clichés you wouldexpect in a movie like this and by not going for any cheap sentiments.The movie actually manages to surprise you by the direction it istaking at times. At certain moments it is suggesting to you it is goingto head into a certain direction but then it's doing something totallydifferent and unexpected. Plot lines are often being dropped forsomething totally new and different and in this case that is anapproach that actually works out well for this movie and its overallrealism and drama.What I also really liked about the approach was that it was constantlyfollowing a father and his 14-year old son. And no matter how bad theyseem to have it, they come across people who are off far worse thanthey are. It puts things totally in a different perspective and lightat times, which works out originally for its story as well.Yet I still don't rate this movie THAT highly and I also can't say thisis an absolute must-see. It obviously is a very recommendable movie butstill at the same time it also is being too little and simplistic withits resources to make a true lasting impression or a big impact. It's amovie that will stay on your mind for a while but not one you willstill think about much or highly, a couple of months, or so, later.This is not really being any criticism toward the movie itself though,since it does, what it does, oh so well.So yes, it definitely is a movie worth checking out because of itssubject and the way it's handling it.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

jinglemingle1 (2012-05-21 10:32)

Film 7 - User Comment for "A Better Life"

I very much liked "A Better Life". Myself being an immigrant who grewup in the United States and raised by a single immigrant mother borewitness of the difficulties that the characters of Carlos Galindo andhis son Luis Galindo had to bear as a part of their immigrantexperience while trying to create a better future for themselves. "ABetter Life" is a touching portrayal of a hard-working gardener fatherwho despite living in a poor neighborhood never deviates from the realreason he decided to come to the United States – to live a better lifethan what he felt would be awaiting himself and his son in Mexico. "ABetter Life" shows how when a parent raises their child with care andlove, the child will usually not stray off into a life of crime andviolence but will act on his own better judgment in life and willreturn that care and love to his/her parents because that is also whatthe child has been raised with – love and care. 'A Better Life" showedhow far a parent will go to create the best possible situation forhis/her child, even if it means sleeping on the couch to allow thechild to be more comfortable on the bed – as Carlos did for his sonLuis.

Emilita731 (2012-05-20 14:57)

Truthful

Being the daughter of immigrant parents who busted their behinds tomake a life in this country, not knowing the language nor the customs,I think it is one of the most important films to watch together as afamily. The scene when Damien is speaking with his son in prison is oneof the most heart wrenching scenes I've ever seen and totally depictshow millions of immigrants feel about why they come to this country.What parent has ever admitted to their child the the whole strugglethey're going through is to make them feel some bit or worth???? Wow,that scene literally had everyone in tears at my theatre. It was sohonest and truthful that you feel you are right there with him, goingthrough his same pain. I applaud Chris Weitz and the actors of thisfilm for making it such an honest view of the struggles of Latinoimmigrants and really all immigrants that leave their homelands to cometo this country.

red_identity (2012-05-19 21:50)

Very effective

A Better Life is a pretty standard story. In fact, it's plot has somecontrivances that I wish it didn't, and it doesn't feel as smooth as Iwish, but for all of it's writing flaws, it still made me completelyempathize for these characters. I connected with them in part because Iknow too much of the hardships of these kinds of people. My parentshave had similar obstacles to overcome as well, and living not too faraway from the area shown in this film, I know what it can be like. Thisis a good film, but then there's Demian Bichir. This never once feels like acting, and it wasn't until the final scenebetween Bichir and his son that I realized how effective this film hadbeen. In that final scene, I actually let out tears. For the firsttime, the writing didn't feel contrived, or the dialogue weak. It allcame together for Bichir, and in that final scene you break down withhim. It is one of the best acted scenes of the year, and one of themost effective. It isn't until that final scene that you realize howmuch he has lured you in to his inner feelings, and how much he hasmade you care. It all sounds cheesy, and many times the film is, butthat final scene between father and son is the only scene from 2011that actually made me weep like a child. Powerful performance byBichir, and completely deserved his nomination. I also want to mentionthat Jose Julian is also quite effective.

ketgup83 (2012-05-19 11:23)

nice drama with some loose ends but goes well with superb performance by Damein Bichir

A better life was nice laid back film which was entertaining in partsbut was overshadowed by stupendous performance by Demian BichirA Better Life tells a story about a struggling father who is cravingfor a better school for his son's education , better place to stay anddo something on his own.When I heard about Demian Bichir getting Oscar nod for his acting , Iwas thrilled to watch this flick. The movie has a simple story about atorn relationship between father and son and how father wants to makethings better and spend some quality time with son. It is thesimplicity that draws attention and makes it worth watching at leastonce. The movie starts off well with character building and some heartwarming scenes but looses the steam afterwards. The 2nd half is littlebit of engaging but the climax is saved by superb performance by Demianwhere he promises his boy to come back. Direction is good butscreenplay could have been more crispy. Cinematography is decent alongwith nice background score. Damein Bichir is the remarkable who carriesthe film on his shoulder. He fits into the character that you feelsympathy for him Overall , very nice drama with some loose ends but goes well withsuperb performance by Damein Bichir.

Arly Marin (2012-05-19 04:01)

A film that captures a man's motives behind choosing a tougher road

"A Better Life" is a scope into the life of an illegal Mexicanimmigrant and the motives behind his relentless passion to cross overand attempt to excel in the United States. The unusual twist, however,is this portion of the story is reserved for the ending as opposed tothe beginning. The body of the story centers around Carlos, who is already in theUnited States working as a gardener, and his son Luis, a high schoolstudent on the verge of surrendering to the gang lifestyle. AfterCarlos is betrayed by Santiago, who steals his working truck, thefather/son team commit to tracing down this man and reclaiming what isrightfully theirs ─ thus, the truck at this point becomes the symbol oftheir stepping stone onto a better life. After locating the truck and experiencing a brief victory, police stopCarlos and arrest him for not having a license. When Luis arrives atthe prison where his father is being held before being deported back toMexico, they experience the peak of their relationship after Carlosconfides in Luis that he gives him a reason to live. Luis is thenforcefully dragged away loudly demanding his father to promise he willcome back.The film resumes in the open dessert, where Carlos along with otherMexican immigrants led by a border "coyote" are about to embark on thelife-threatening journey, sparking in us personal reflection as to whyany person would submit themselves to such danger not just once, but inthis case, multiple times.The film successfully reorganizes the expected order of events toachieve a deeper perspective into the innumerable variations incircumstance for countless Mexican immigrants. It is a film of socialrelevance, that is enjoyable mostly by its refusal to antagonize any ofthe characters, and instead focuses on the flaws of a broken systemthat lead them to their decisions.

andrethemoviesnob (2012-05-18 13:17)

An excellent father son drama!

What a fantastic film. I heard about it briefly, but had no intentionto watch it. But when Demian Bichir got nominated for Best Actor Idecided to give it a go. And I'm really happy I did. Demian gives themost genuine, moving performance I've seen from an actor this year.While I had felt that Jean Dujardin was a lock for the Oscar (Clooneywas a little over rated in The Descendants, I just didn't believe hischaracter enough), after this I changed my mine. He should have won forthis incredible performance.The story is pretty fairly straight forward. He's an illegal Immigrantfrom Mexico trying to make a better life for himself and his son. Hehas to work long hours as a gardener. Because he has to work so much,he has little time for his son and struggles to relate to him becauseof it. He also feels his son doesn't really understand or value hisheritage and he wants to teach him this and how to be a good man. Givenhis predicament this is very hard, but he does what he can.There are some great moments in the film. For me the most moving ofwhich is when his son decides to help him retrieve something that wasstolen from them. They are just able to narrowly escape without harmand in that moment their first father/son moment is forged and theyfinally bond together. Bichir captured this so genuinely it had mefighting tears. It was a very subtle scene but it really hit me,seemingly out of nowhere.Now what I also loved about this was how relevant this film was withthe immigration issue raging in the states. And the film wasn't toopreachy. It just honestly presented what's happening. While he wasclearly a good man, he was here and worked illegally. And while yourheart broke for him at times, you had to remember that laws are lawsand need to be upheld. While he was really was a good person, otherimmigrants had less honest intentions. So it's really a very complex,shades of grey type situation. The film didn't have an agenda and wasjust honest about it. And I loved it for that. At the end of the film I didn't find myself on either side of thedebate. I just felt a sense of sorrow for so many people that you knoware going through this. Can you judge each person on an individualbasis? Can an illegal immigrant be judged based on their how they'velived their life once here? This is a complex situation and this filmis an accurate representation of it. One of the best (and sadly unrecognized) films of 2011.http://andretms.blogspot.ca/@the_movie_snob

aharmas (2012-05-17 17:59)

An Important Drama

Carlos is a good man. He is raising his 14 year-old son, doing the besthe can, trying to make sure he never gets seduced by a gang ofsociety's worst. Things couldn't be stacked worse against him becausehe lacks legal documentation to work in the United States, and his sonholds a grudge against him for not being around to nurture him, andthere is a back story about his ex-wife.The plot is simple, as it gives you a deciding week in the life ofCarlos, who reaches a fork in his life and must make a choice in orderto improve his family's life. Most likely because of his trustingnature, things get even worse, as father and son soon become involvedin a quest to recover some lost property.Some people have argued that Weitz hasn't been able to connect with hismaterial, but I completely disagree as Weitz and his team have doneinsightful and accurate research about Carlos' world. He has carefullyput together a film that tries to explain some subtleties about thevarious differences among the various Latinos subgroups. The viewer hasan opportunity to explore the lives of legal and undocumentedimmigrants from various countries. It explores how choices are made andsome people stick to their roots and continue their traditions here,but those might not all be common for all the groups involved. Thereare telling lines in the conversations between father and son, and onetries to sever the ties to the past, while the other reminisces.There are amazing scenes in this film. Some deal with the relationshipsbetween Anglos and the undocumented workers. Others have the variousLatino groups interact with each other, and at times they feeluncomfortable because they are raw and honest. Most importantly, thework of Demian Bichir's truly remarkable performance, a bilingual turnfrom an actor not afraid to reach deep inside his own experiences toshow a range of emotions many award winning performers can only dreamof. The scene at the detention center will move every member in theaudience, as he must bare his soul in a matter of minutes for anopportunity to connect with his own child.Bichir, hopefully will be rewarded later in the year for a job fewcould have pulled off. The film is not apparently very complex. Manymight dismiss it as a cheap soap opera attempt to pull emotionalstrings. Every feeling we experience is the result of daringexplorations into groups that might not even be minority groups in theUnited States. They are part of the fabric that makes up contemporaryAmerica, and many might choose to ignore them. That would frankly be amistake because they have their own interconnected dramas, andeventually those will reach and affect everyone else. "A Better Life"is part of a universal dream / nightmare, something that touches theuniversal quest for acceptance in all of us.***** (five stars)

Britinmiami (2012-05-17 06:27)

Very Touching Movie

This movie was very touching and will make you feel very sad... Well ifyou have a heart it will! The acting is top notch and the relationshipbetween the two male leads was very believable. The movie gives you areal look inside of the lives of Mexican immigrants and how hard theirlives are.The movie moves all around LA and is seen through the eyes of a MexicanImmigrant worker as he looks out on the lives of the diverse community.The pace of the movie is good and you keeps you interested. The storyis well written and has some interesting twits and turns.The movie keeps away from the usual stereotypical themes and does notshow unnecessary violence. Overall great performances all around.

bhwpolo93 (2012-05-16 19:28)

film 7: Chris Kim Prof. Carrasco

This sentimental film about a underprivileged father trying his best tohave a "BETTER LIFE" for his son touched me. My family being veryclose, helped me relate when I felt the dad was trying to be a goodfather but also a loose one at that. It was refreshing to see Chris'sstyle of directing as one not related to Disney, where everything worksout in the end and the hero gets everything he wishes for. When thetruck was stolen and the father was able to keep cool and not beat onthe guy when he finds it, I didn't see it as unrealistic but somewhathard to believe because when one's life is taken away from them bysomeone it is a distinct nature of human beings to get angry. Thisfamily oriented film choked me up when the father finally goteverything he wanted but then got stopped by the police and got senthim back to Mexico. It just seemed like he couldn't catch a break andthat bothered me because throughout the movie the father kept his cooland had an honest job to support him and his son. And as the directorleft the film ending in a scene where the father looks towards home tohis son, it made me think could he make it back?

Clayton Davis (2012-05-16 05:17)

Demian Bichir is OUTSTANDING (***½)

Chris Weitz had a breakthrough in a big way in 2002′s indie dramedyAbout a Boy, which he received an Academy Award nomination for AdaptedScreenplay. Since then, he's struggled in directorial choices such asThe Golden Compass (2007) and The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) andhasn't capitalized on the promise once thought of him. What Weitz hasdelivered in his newest film, A Better Life, assisted by a passionateperformance by Demián Bichir is one of the most compelling andemotional films of the year. The film tells the story of Carlos(Bichir), an illegal Mexican immigrant just trying to make ends meetfor him and his fourteen year old son Luis (José Julián). While Carlosstruggles and shows constant compassion for the human race, Luis hasbeen struggling with school and the temptation of joining a local LosAngeles gang. The constant fear of deportation is on Carlos' mind ashis limitations in job choices and transportation starts weighing inheavily. The film is an exposé of the United States' immigrationproblems that has resonated for decades, although, Weitz brings a freshand fervent touch on the sensitive subject matter. The film's beautifulsimplicity is carried massively on the work of Demián Bichir, instantlyand surely one of the best performances seen in 2011. Bichir doesn'tflinch, hiccup, or lose any sight of Carlos. He breathes new life intowhat could easily be stereotypical and bland characterization yet,attacks the role with heart and soul like some of the great actors offilm history. In a flawless realization of polished and proficientdepiction, Bichir maneuvers through the story slick, sensitive, andenduring and at your most vulnerable point, pounces on yourheartstrings. It's the best dedication to the acting form seen in 2011thus far. Oscar, please notice. José Julián delivers one of theimpressive breakthrough performances by a child actor this year yet.Luis' balance to Carlos' story succeeds solely on Julián's shoulders.As a confused adolescent, fighting to be accepted by his peers alongwith the demons of his past, Julián inhabits the pain of a childbrilliantly. It gives hope to the future of acting when a performancelike Julián's is witnessed at such a young age. While the dialogueisn't the compelling take of exchanging, especially between the othersupporting players, writers Eric Eason and Roger L. Simon attempt asubject matter that raises plenty of debate and question and leaves itto the viewer's interpretation. The film is directed extremely well andpaced superbly. Alexandre Desplat's score is stamped remarkably as anadded topping on the sweet tale. The film is a must- see for any loverof the movies. The film captures raw emotion and places it in a bottledistributing ounce by ounce until your heart is filled to the brim.It's a character study of epic proportions that inhabits a deeplymoving story that may seem familiar but not at all accustomed.Read more reviews at The Awards Circuit @ awardscircuit(dot)com