Too much of everything

It is a performances centric movie

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This was a wonderful film that stirred the heart but that ultimately did not complete the 'karma' that was called for (see the film.) Ashley's predicament is fairly typical of many Americans who feel that the system is stacked against them failing to see the inherent flaws in their character that is the true cause of their problems. The cast was spot-on in their acting especially Ashley (Abbie Cornish)and Rosa (Maritza Hernandez.) They carried the film and Rosa just about breaks your heart whenever the pixie is on screen.The two points that really stayed with me though after viewing the film were:1.The scale of the desperation that drives people to extreme and dangerous measures to escape the grinding poverty that is overwhelming and that destroys families. The hollow resigned faces of the people attempting to cross into the U.S. are haunting. And...2. The lack of a fitting resolution to the problem created by Ashley's actions. She owed Rosa much more.I don't think I put any information that might be considered a spoiler but since I'm new to writing reviews, I checked the spoiler box just in case. But to sum up, I really enjoyed this film for it's realism and the excelsior performance by the actors.

I had no opinions or expectation on this film. It all started out with a crush on Abbie Cornish, but I ended up with a great deal of respect for her acting (and her Spanish) in this film. She showed a side of her that I had never seen before, but more importantly the film (and Abbie) made me aware of the culture on both sides of the Rio. The film starts with a sharp edge on the Texas side of the river, proceeds into a learning phase for me and Abbie/Ashley, and finally it softens and becomes a touching film on the Mexico side. Ashley is a much better person at the end of the film than the beginning - I hope that this is not considered a spoiler. I recommend this film wholeheartedly.

One of the worst movies I have ever watched and believe me I have watched tones of them! Very simple and shallow scenario with tremendous lack of depth. I really wonder why they even bother to invest money and release such movies! It is very repetitive and nothing new was introduced. If someone have never watched a drama movie, maybe can find this one acceptable but if someone have watched some really good drama movies, then this one is really terrible. Just a waste of time! The acting of the main actor is OK but the scenario is quite simple. I consider this movie as a missed chance, because at the beginning it looked interesting and I thought that it had a potential to be a nice drama but after the first 20 minutes it becomes very repetitive and then you wait until the end of the movie for something new, sudden to happen, something to change the plot...but nothing, just nothing! and then you watch the credits thinking of the wasted time...

I was expecting "The Girl" to be mired in the stereotypical contrast of poverty-stricken Mexico vs. the wealthy United States with the protagonist Ashley (Abbie Cornish) coming to make a living off the misery of others, in a manner similar to that of a drug-dealer.My low expectations were thankfully confounded. Instead I was pulled into the evolution of the protagonist as she gets too close to the people who want to cross the border to be an effectual cold-hearted "coyote".Abbie Cornish's portrayal of a poor, white woman bred on low-grade racism is totally credible. But this is only a starting point for her character, as she travels on an emotional journey in Mexico which comes to mirror her life in Texas, but allows her to become something more than she was.