★ 6 / 10
**A good story, in which the search for
Filipe Manuel Neto
**A good story, in which the search for a stolen van is linked to the recovery of a father's relationship with his teenage son.** For many people, the USA is a…
**A good story, in which the search for a stolen van is linked to the recovery of a father's relationship with his teenage son.**
For many people, the USA is a land of dreams, of opportunities, where they dream to go, in order to free themselves from the harshness of their lives and the lack of conditions in their own countries. The same is true here, with Europe, and very particularly with Germany. Portugal, my country, is also very popular, but it is a country where most people simply pass on their way to the “promised land”.
Personally, I have nothing against these migratory flows. The truth is that we will need this workforce to compensate for the lack of births in our countries and also the lack of workers for simpler services, which we, with our academic degrees, tend not to do. These are people we must welcome, although this should not prevent us from implementing rules, policing borders and demanding that reasonable requirements be met, whether for granting visas or obtaining citizenship.
The film that I am discussing today is precisely the story of an illegal Mexican immigrant who crossed the border and settled in California with his teenage son. He buys a van to establish himself as a home gardener, but ends up seeing it stolen by another immigrant who had tried to help, and it is up to him alone to try to recover it, as he could never go to the authorities without ending up. stuck. The search for the stolen van will, on the other hand, allow a closer relationship between father and son, at a very sensitive moment when the young man seemed quite seduced by Hispanic gangs and by a life associated with crime and the underworld. Clearly inspired by _Bicycle Thieves_, a classic of Italian cinema, the plot is good and touching, it has a dose of emotion that proved to be very positive, and the characters are credible and worthy of our compassion.
The two main roles in this small but well-executed family drama are played by two Hispanic actors, Demián Bichir and José Julián. I don't know any of them, but I think they both managed to get away from the challenges they faced quite well, and it could even be said that Bichir shone, with his serious, slightly emotional and authentic performance. Moreover, the actor even deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
The cinematography, sets and costumes are quite regular, with no major particularities or aspects worth noting. The visual and sound effects used are good, and quite discreet, working quite well. It's a film that doesn't technically stand out, in order to leave us fully involved in the story it tells us.
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★ 7 / 10
Outstanding Performance Gives Weight to an Alright Film
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…
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
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