A Better Life

THE MEXICANS ARE COMING! But it's cool, cuz they're nice.


Nominated for:
Best Actor - Demián Bichir


*** Spoilers below ***


A poor (but noble) illegal Mexican immigrant fulfills his dream of making a better life (LIKE THE TITLE!!!) for his son by buying a truck for his landscaping business. But BAM! someone steals his truck. Sonovab@#%! Father and son bond over search for truck. Then those nasty cops go and spoil it all by deporting Father back to Mexico. NO WORRIES though, Father and a host of other illegals pay a smuggler to get them back over the border. Father and others skip off through the desert into the sunset, and into the USA.


As far as issue films go, this one isn't all that bad. But there is a lot of over-simplification of some very complex things, the worst case being the ending (crossing the border illegally through the desert is not exactly a breeze...). This film is supposed to be pro immigration, but it essentially shoots itself in the foot. Both xenophobic and open-armed Americans will remain convinced of their respective opinions, and those who fall somewhere in the middle will promptly forget they ever saw this film. 


Eli

PS - While some may find Demian Bichir's character inspiring, I'm a little sick of seeing Hollywood pump out this noble-foreign-destitute protagonist. If being poor makes you so smart and good, why are we all still a slave to the 9-5?