{"id":1183,"date":"2011-08-09T11:00:25","date_gmt":"2011-08-09T11:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=1183"},"modified":"2011-08-09T11:00:25","modified_gmt":"2011-08-09T11:00:25","slug":"a-better-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/drama\/a-better-life\/","title":{"rendered":"A Better Life ***"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Tackling the all too common situation of illegal US immigration, About A Boy<\/em><\/a>\u2019s Chris Weitz <\/a>opts for making a film full of good intentions that focuses on the larger issue from a narrower perspective. The result is an effecting, warm and compelling father-son relationship tale about love triumphing over adversity that manages on the whole to avoid the standard Hispanic movie clich\u00e9s \u2013 heartstrings-twanging ending aside \u2013 and give a more positive representation of the community living in contemporary LA.<\/p>\n

Demi\u00e1n Bichir<\/a> plays Carlos Galindo, a hardworking and respectful illegal immigrant from Mexico working as a gardener in LA\u2019s wealthier districts while trying to single-handedly raise his teen son, Luis (Jos\u00e9 Juli\u00e1n<\/a>). Struggling to steer his son away from gangs and immigration agents, his break into \u2018a better life\u2019 to give his son the opportunities he never had leads to tragedy and a real test of his father-son relationship.<\/p>\n

However sincere, if predictable Weitz\u2019s film is that follows a similar plot to Vittorio De Sica<\/a>\u2019s Bicycle Thieves<\/em><\/a> it\u2019s still prone to melodrama in parts, and relentlessly hammers home the injustices in its characters\u2019 moments of reflection. It\u2019s an interesting affair to get a deep-seated feeling of patriotism from a non-Mexican director, although even his and Eric Eason<\/a>\u2019s take on Roger L. Simon<\/a>\u2019s story still feels like \u2018outsiders looking in\u2019 in a romantic sense. These moments tend to detract attention away from the more intriguing male relationship core that the story promises, something that the director has proven an expert of portraying in his 2002 film, starring Hugh Grant<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With Bichir\u2019s mesmerising performance, though, the film never fails to be deeply affecting, as Bichir is gracious, proud and determined as Galindo, whatever life throws at him, making him a formidable and moralistic presence of good. It\u2019s his son who, like us, questions why he so gallantly persists in his efforts. Luis represents that fascinating generation of multiculturalism struggling with its own uncertain and ever-evolving identity. Juli\u00e1n is cast well opposite Bichir, and never over dramatises Luis\u2019s reactions. Much like the story, he manages to avoid the pitfalls and inevitable forecast we might come to expect. In this respect, Weitz continually surprises.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Weitz becomes almost impatient in the latter part, undoing all his hard work in tactfully personalising the situation, by hastily drumming home the key social and political issues, before the poignant final scene appears on screen. It\u2019s left down to his commendable cast to save the day and the film\u2019s finale, which they do, clawing it back from the brink of genre parity. For this reason alone, overall, A Better Life<\/em> can be remembered as a humble but richly nuanced character study full of compassion.<\/p>\n

3\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

Follow on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tackling the all too common situation of illegal US immigration, About A Boy\u2019s Chris Weitz opts for making a film full of good intentions that focuses on the larger issue from a narrower perspective. The result is an effecting, warm and compelling father-son relationship tale about love triumphing over adversity that manages on the whole … <\/p>\n

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