Dreadfully Boring

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Its hard to imagine living in a world like the one portrayed in A Better Life. But you are brought into it with such ease that you quickly forget that this cycle of work, sleep, work, sleep and provide for your family isn't the norm. You are so brilliantly made part of that world that you fell like Carlos (the father) is one of your own and you feel for his every move.Carlos is a deeply respectful man. He does things that he believes to the the right way of doing things. And this includes making his entire existence about providing for his 14yr old son, no matter how ungrateful he seems. Perhaps its a sign of my age (mid 30's) that I really felt more of an affinity towards Carlos and his never ending struggle and could see all he hard work and effort go seemingly unappreciated. I really felt his pain and his desire to provide a better life for his son, to give him the opportunities that he never had.But what brings the film together is when the one life line he has to provide that life for himself and his son is taken from him. I'd like to say it becomes a thriller or an action, because that would be so easy to describe. But far from the far fetched thrillers that normally grace our cinema screens, the need to resolve this situation feels much greater than if this was a Bruce Willis movie for example. The solidarity for the father, Carlos, that has been built up so well in the first half hour of the movie gives you a real understanding for the desperation that he feels when everything seems to be crashed down around him. The frantic, seemingly fruitless, mission to regain what was stolen is felt by the viewer with every step. And where Luis (the son) represents youthful exuberance with is American influences all rolled into one, Carlos is the exact representation of old world values and of south of the border.All in all a very very entertaining and emotional journey that leaves you with a better understanding of how certain people live and how their lives are a desperate struggle to try and better themselves and the chances that are afforded to their children. The ever present threat of gang land involvement is done tactfully and doesn't encroach on the plot or at any point become stereotyped. It is what it is, an ever present option to Hispanic youth growing up in these types of neighbourhoods.If you fail to feel a tear in your eye or a lump in your throat at some point during the film, then I'd be surprised. Thoroughly recommended.

Bichir's spectacular performance aside, I am not convinced with the power of this movie's story that seems to impress most other reviews I have glanced across.Main reason being parts of the plot itself seems to be inconsistent with what I would expect to see in reality. The key event in this film - the truck being stolen - is what I find to be utterly ridiculous on the father, given that he has been in this line of business for so long (and had demonstrated enough business sense and maturity to gain the trust to 'inherit' the business) he should not have been this naive to allow such a thing to happen WAY TOO soon.That goes the same for other inconsistent events. Another aspect of disappointment comes from the side characters. Poor acting performance is not the issue here (assuming they are not professional actors themselves), but the main culprit is that the director has failed to allow each of these characters to evolve their roles more significantly to address the key subject matters which this film is trying hard to convey. Even the son is too one-dimensional which is far below my expectations. I do not see any hint of attachment or chemistry from these characters' to the main leads nor addressing communal/political/immigration issues in their own way. Their conversations are dull, like poorly made soap operas. In fact, the only impression I had was that they were just extras filling up the time to make the movie longer than it should be. I have watched other movies dealing with similar themes but at least those movies have proved to be more wholesome than this one.

This movie was very touching and will make you feel very sad... Well if you have a heart it will! The acting is top notch and the relationship between the two male leads was very believable. The movie gives you a real look inside of the lives of Mexican immigrants and how hard their lives are.The movie moves all around LA and is seen through the eyes of a Mexican Immigrant 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 story is well written and has some interesting twits and turns.The movie keeps away from the usual stereotypical themes and does not show unnecessary violence. Overall great performances all around.

"A better life" depicts the life of many Hispanic immigrants who came to America hoping for opportunities to seek the American dream. The movie is about a father migrating to the United States seeking for better life for his family only to realized that it was tougher than he thought. Working as a gardener, he struggles to make enough to support the family. Aside from being financially unstable, he also struggles to spend time with his son. Easily influenced by gangs, drugs, and violence, he tries his best to prevent his son from going into that path. A well directed movie with superb acting, this movie deserves to be in the top 5 movies of the year. It is a heartfelt movie that will make the audience fall in love with the characters and the storyline. Overall 11/10 stars