Under the Same Moon
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Movie Reviews of Under the Same Moon
Movie Review: sentimental crowd-pleaser
Summary: 4 Stars
Written by Ligiah Villalobos and directed by Patricia Riggen, "Under the Same Moon" is a bit like what you`d get if you crossed "El Norte" with a heart-tugging tale by Charles Dickens. Nine-year-old Carlitos lives with his grandmother in Mexico while his mother struggles to make ends meet in Los Angeles. Despite the harsh conditions of her life, Rosario is saving as much money as she can so that eventually Carlitos will be able to come and live with her. When his grandmother dies, Carlitos decides to make the dangerous trek to LA on his own, encountering numerous obstacles and assorted colorful characters along the way. (The plot is highly reminiscent of "A Boy Ten Feet Tall," a British film from the 1960s in which an orphaned boy travels thousands of miles from Port Said to Durban, South Africa in search of the aunt who lives there).
Sentimental in the best sense of that term, this crowd-pleasing tearjerker is a simple but touching tale of the undying love between a mother and a son and of the resilient spirit that allows people living in difficult circumstances to carry on and endure. The movie shimmers with lovely performances by the exquisite Kate del Castillo as Carlitos' devoted, longsuffering mother; Maya Zapata as her no-nonsense, pragmatic best friend; Eugenio Derbez as a cynical day laborer who finds himself unexpectedly saddled with a pint-sized companion who always seems to get the better of him, and, above all, young Adrian Alonso who, as Carlitos, lights up the screen with his authenticity, sincerity and warmth. (America Ferrera also has a small role as a college student from the states who smuggles babies across the border to help reunite them with their parents).
In the tradition of "The Bicycle Thief," "Forbidden Games, " "Sundays and Cybele," "The 400 Blows" and countless others, "Under the Same Moon" is a small, heartfelt film that artfully conveys a child's-eye-view of the adult world.
Movie Review: Addresses issues in a way that allows a good film to materialize...
Summary: 4 Stars
The numerous discussions here and at other forums over the feelings/issues covered in the film almost makes one want to steer away from watching this - "another" immigration film. I would hope instead that any movie watcher will see this film anyway and be rewarded with a life affirming family love story.
The performances, graceful music, relevant locales and (sometimes rushed but believable) scenarios fill the story line with the necessary themes to make this an inspirational film. The Superman song is hilarious as I had never heard it before - great lyrics. The most interesting thing about this experience was my 6-year old daughter (who speaks only a few words of Spanish) was completely intrigued by the entire piece. The boy actor is obviously ahead of his years, and his expressions and delivery made my girl realize what was happening without even knowing the full dialogue.
The DVD has a decent transfer, and both docus on the disc are worth watching. Docu #1 is over 30 minutes long covering the creation, inspiration and logistics of making the film. Only after watching it did I realize the power of the mother/son relationship showed in the film, even though they shared no scenes together. Docu #2 reveals the artwork/murals created for the film and in respect to the film throughout the Boyle Heights and neighboring areas. For those that revel in the appreciation of mural artwork and the artists behind them - the DVD would be a must-see just for this.
Putting aside all the political and personal issues being written here and elsewhere, I believe the whole family can sit down and watch this film. No work of fiction/reality can capture all of the complexities brushed upon by this movie, but the heart of the message shines through and will make you feel satisfied in the end.
Movie Review: Sentimental But Satisfying
Summary: 4 Stars
Rosario is a single mom who has immigrated illegally to the United States in order to give her family the opportunity for a better life. But to do so she has had to leave her 9 year son, Carlitos, behind in Mexico. Carlitos misses his mother greatly. So, after his grandmother dies, Carlitos pays off some rookie Chicano smugglers to bring him into the USA. But the smugglers have their vehicle impounded at the border crossing in El Paso, Texas and from here Carlitos must embark on a difficult and treacherous journey to find his mother in Los Angeles.
I first must say that this is not a top notch movie in certain aspects. It is predictable, sentimental, and has several gaps in logic. For example, why didn't Carlitos simply use the phone number of his mom's employer that had been given to him. But I guess realism isn't really the purpose of this movie. Instead it manages, quite successfully, to affect you emotionally. This is in large part due to a fine acting job by the young Adrian Alonso. He turns Carlitos into such a brave, bright, charming kid that it is impossible not to root for him.
The debate over illegal immigration often is based on American's fears of those who are considered culturally and linguistically different. But this film really puts a human face on the difficult struggles facing so many illegal immigrants and the courage and determination they show while seeking to better their circumstances.
The similarities that bring us together as human beings are so much greater than the differences of culture and language. So kudos to this film for showing illegal immigrants as fellow humans rather than an abstract group of "others".
Movie Review: Heartwarming odyssey -- good movie!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Nine-year old Carlito pines for his absent mother, an illegal immigrant working as a housekeeper in Los Angeles. When his grandmother caretaker suddenly dies, he takes it upon himself to hazard a border crossing in Texas and try to make his way to L.A. to become reunited with his mother. Unaware of his journey, Momma wonders if she should return to Mexico to be with her little boy.
The kid playing Carlito puts in a devastating performance. His mother is smokin' hot. Hispanics are not stereotyped here but the Americanos are. Americans are pretty much uniformly portrayed as overbearing or corrupt.
Will mother and son become reunited in time? You'll have to watch, but you can probably guess. .
Movie Review: Expand your movie watching
Summary: 4 Stars
This little movie is so heart warming, sad, happy that you get to view the tough life of a single mother separated from her young son through different set of emotional lens. Well done (as little indy movies done on the cheap go) real and authentic. I don't usually have the patience to sit through a whole sub-titled movie. But this one was not so "hurry up and read the caption" and simple enough to "get it". I really got into it from the start. The child actor is very good in this. Enjoy it.