Simply Perfect

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Blistering performances.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Saw this film in New York. The acting, cinematography, and timing are absolutely beautiful, as well as absorbing. I was stunned when I saw the film. This quality is rarely seen anymore. There was excellent original music, which enhanced the mood of the film, subtly supporting the acting. The setting was stunning--apparently the Central Coast of California. The message was also one that more Americans should hear--that we are all alike and have the same relationships (even if you are a Mexican laborer). The acting was real; the relationship between the father and son was totally believable. We need more films like this--with originality in topic and presentation. This film is a "must see."