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2011, 07-06:
Review of film: “A BETTER LIFE”
A website called LatinoScoop.com helped support the launching of a campaign to market a film called “A BETTER LIFE” about some of the difficulties faced by people involved in IMMIGRATION problems...
... The advance screening drew an overflow crowd to Chicago’s REGAL CITY NORTH 14 theater. Before the film, JOSE JARA (the founder of LatinoScoop; as seen in the photo below) thanked the crowd for coming...
... Jose introduced the man who’ll be running their new operation in the LOS ANGELES area (+, they have plans to open in New York City & Washington DC to serve markets there)...
... As the L.A. rep commented, this is the first film by a major studio (SUMMIT Entertainment) to release a film by a “known” director (Chris Weitz, who did “ABOUT A BOY”) on the subject of current IMMIGRATION problems people face in the U.S....
... He hoped people in the audience would use word-of-mouth to tell OTHERS about the film, with the wish that people seeing it would help foster more justice for people having such immigration troubles...
... Soon after the film begins, we’re introduced to a hard-working immigrant named Carlos Galindo (DEMIÁN BISHIR). He’s working as a gardener / landscaper for another Mexican guy named Blasco Martinez (Joaquín COSIO)...
... Joaquín is soon going to retire back to Mexico, & keeps urging Demián to BUY his TRUCK & landscaping tools, so he could run his OWN business...
... But, Demián points out to him, he personally can’t AFFORD such an expense-- &, more importantly, he couldn’t officially OPERATE such a business: although he’d been in the U.S. for 14 years, he’d entered the country ILLEGALLY & couldn’t even get a LICENSE to drive, much less own & operate any company...
... In time, we see Demián doing various dangerous work, such as using a TREE-CLIMBING harness (around his waist) with spikes on his shoes to climb up to the top of palm trees to cut some branches there...
... The lady who owns the tree worries about how that’s a potentially HAZARDOUS job. But, although Joaquín assures the lady that Demián likes such work & he’s “INSURED”, the translation of Demián’s Spanish comments makes clear that’s all quite UNTRUE...
... As if having to worry about his future income (when Joaquín leaves) isn’t bad enough, Demián also has fears about how his SON is growing up:
... The son is named Luis (JOSÉ JULIÁN). He’s 14 years old, & he’s MAD at the world & himself, partly because his mother abandoned him & his dad long ago. There’s nothing much he cares about in life outside of SOCCER and a tough girlfriend he has...
... José tends to see himself as being “all that”-- but he’s actually pretty LAZY, & (partly because he doesn’t really “CARE” in life) makes no real “efforts” in SCHOOL, the result of which is he keeps being SUSPENDED for ditching classes & the like....
... His dad is quite WORRIED about him & his attitudes, + about the way so many kids keep being encouraged to join GANGS in the area where they live. In fact, José’s best friend, Facundo (BOBBY SOTO), keeps encouraging him to JOIN a gang, since that’s what Bobby wants to do...
... Demián keeps trying to get “thru” to Bobby about what things are IMPORTANT in life, but he keeps resisting his dad’s entreaties to get up & go to school & to HELP him with gardening or some other work...
... Altho he’s hesitant to do it, Demián eventually visits his SISTER in the area, & wonders if she could ask her husband to LOAN him some money to buy the truck he needs to continue getting regular work...
... He honestly cautions her that he wouldn’t be able to REPAY the money if he gets in any TROUBLE, even for anything as minor as a TRAFFIC stop:
... That’s because, they could find out he has no license to drive (or work), & could make efforts to DEPORT him back to Mexico (since he’d never been able to get citizenship due to all the tough regulations since he’d arrived)...
... Eventually, to Demián’s surprise, his sister comes UP with the money, & he BUYS the truck of his old boss...
... It’s a chance to try to give a BETTER LIFE to his son (which he desperately wants to do for him)... But, when he drives up to the school to tell José the news & give him a gift, José ISN’T really very pleased & doesn’t seem to “CARE” much...
... At one point, Demián tries to spend more TIME with José, taking him to see a little Mexican-style RODEO being held in the area...
... In his landscaping work, Demián tries to give a helping hand to a man named Santiago (CARLOS LINARES) who’d been comparatively kind to him in the past... But, Carlos proves a very BAD CHOICE of who to trust, & that endangers Demián’s whole LIFE in the U.S....
... Will Demián be able to “FIX” the problems that Carlos causes him (including re his IMMIGRATION situation)?...
... Will he ever be able to get “thru” to JOSÉ about what he “means” to him & what’s IMPORTANT in life?... Will José be able to AVOID involvement with the gangs & act properly towards his aunt?...
... As the LatinoScoop reps commented after the film (which got hearty applause from a number of people in the audience), it’s very hard to “sell” an independent movie like this, & they hopes people would SHARE their thoughts about it with friends & families...
(... It’s scheduled to open in various places as of Friday, July 8th... In the CHICAGO area, it’s tentatively planned for screenings at the AMC River East 21, the AMC Showplace Cicero 14, the Kerasotes Showplace ICON, & the Landmark Century Centre...
(... In the LOS ANGELES area, it’s tentatively listed for screenings at: the AMC Montebello 10; ArcLight Beach Cities; ArcLight Cinerama Dome; ArcLight Hollywood; & the Bianchi Theatre...
(... Also, at: Edwards Southgate Stadium 20; Krikorian Pico Rivera Village Walk 15; Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 15; Rave Motion Pictures 18 + IMAX; Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14; & the Regency Commerce 14... )
... As to the movie itself, I was quite IMPRESSED with it: The film is done in an effective “low-key” manner, rather than trying to be”flashy” or overly “dramatic” in a “potboiler” way...
... The main actors (especially Demián & José) are especially good, being “REAL” & BELIEVABLE on many levels (while not being “extreme”). The story makes its important thought-provoking “points” in a “MODERATE” way, rather than hitting you over the “head” with things...
... And thus, I’m rating this at 8.0 out of 10 stars, for covering a seldom-seen subject with valuable SENSITIVITY...
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