User reviews

the film "A Better Life" is one of the best films I seen this year and one of the favorites of all time. The film "A Better Life" is such a touching film and it will touch you if you have had a hard time just make it day to day in life. This film is about people who work hard everyday and at the end of the day they can never get ahead.This film will teach others who take their life's for granted, not to take their life's for grant because there are people in this world that want the simple things in life like parents that just want to spend time with their kids and they cannot because they have to work or do other thing.The film "A Better Life is about the people and for the people. I highly recommend this movie to others.

A BETTER LIFE is one of the more understated films to come out of Hollywood, a film that has the courage to tell a story that is so politically charged - the immigration debate - that releasing it now is on the one hand asking for negative responses and on the other hand offers to the public the real truths behind our quandary about immigration. This country consists of immigrants - all of us - no matter how far back we have to trace our ancestry: the only people who did not begin their family history as immigrants from every country in the world and the Native Americans, and look how we are treating them! If this film does nothing else than plead the case of human understanding it will have accomplished more than legions of films that touch this subject too lightly.

Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir, in an extraordinarily fine performance) crossed the border into the US with his new wife, looking for a way to improve his life. Upon arriving his wife gave birth to their son Luis (José Julián) and then promptly left Carlos in search of a better life, leaving Carlos to raise Luis alone. Carlos is an honest, caring man who must live in the shadow of being illegal: he cannot have a driver's license or papers that allow him the benefits of other people. Carlos has a steady job as a gardener with Blasco (Joaquín Cosio) who owns a truck and the two men work hard as gardeners.

When the film opens Carlos is saving is money from working with Blasco, living in a tiny house in the smarmy side of Los Angeles, trying to provide better schooling for his 15 year old Luis. Luis is of the age when he is easily influenced by his peers: his best friend is Ramon (Gabriel Chavarria) who is waiting to be of age to join the gang and forget about school in lieu of making money and living high. Luis is tempted to follow him, but he still attends school despite frequent absences and disinterest in education. Carlos is faced with a dilemma: Blasco wants to leave the business of gardening and suggests Carlos buy his truck and tools and start his own business. While Carlos sees the future in owning his own business (he can provide hope for a better life for Luis) he doesn't have enough money saved to buy the truck. His sister, indebted to Carlos for his protection and help, brings him her savings and Carlos buys the truck. Luis is surprised and then proud of his father's courage, but the happiness is short lived as one of the day laborers Carlos befriended - Santiago (Carlos Linares) - steals the truck, sells it on the black market and sends the money to his family in Mexico. It is this moment that provides an important turn for the relationship between Carlos and Luis. Luis bonds with his father and together they manage to locate the truck and take it back, only to be caught by the police for driving without a windshield. Carlos is jailed, Luis is devastated, but as Carlos is deported Luis pleads with him to 'come back home'. The film's ending tests the credibility a bit but it is heartwarming nevertheless.

The story as written by Eric Eason and Roger L. Simon is genuinely real and never veers toward the maudlin. They have created characters who not only demonstrate the importance of father son understanding and relationships, but they have approached the entire gamut of immigrant challenges and the manner in which this country deals with current immigrants in an honest manner. Without waving banners for or against immigration problems director Chris Weitz offers us the opportunity to see life from a different angle. One of the reasons this movie is so powerful in its impact and message is due to the brilliant performance by Demián Bichir, hopefully a candidate for an Oscar, and his performance is beautifully balanced by that of José Julián as his son. The film is scored by Alexandre Desplat and the music greatly enhances the rhythms of the story. There is such worth in this film that it would be wise for everyone in this country to view it - and remember our individual heritages and histories. Grady Harp

Carlos Galindo (Demian Bichir) wants nothing more than to provide his son, Luis (Jose Julian), with the life he himself never had. An illegal alien who has lived in the US for many years, Carlos works as a gardener and keeps his head down, always mindful of what deportation would mean for his son. Luis, meanwhile, is a typically rebellious teenager who doesn't understand or appreciate his father's sacrifices and who is on the brink of joining the local gang. When Carlos' boss planning to leave the gardening business and head home, he offers to sell his truck and equipment to his loyal employee. Desperate to make something happen for himself, Carlos accepts the offer and goes into business for himself, a risk he normally would not take. But when the truck is stolen by a day laborer, Carlos and Luis go on a journey to recover their property and in the process, rebuild the relationship that they've both sorely missed.

I think it was a surprise to many to find Demian Bichir's name among those nominated for Best Actor at this year's Academy Awards. On a list that includes Gary Oldman, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and eventual winner Jean Dujardin, Bichir seemed a bit out of place, especially considering some of the great work done by accomplished actors who were not recognized by the academy (Ryan Gosling, Michael Shannon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, etc.). This is one of those situations, however, that demands a viewing before judgment because, having now seen A Better Life, I can certainly understand the Academy's decision. Simply put, this is a heartfelt, power house performance by an actor that perfectly embodies his role. Carlos encapsulates elements of heartbreak and hope, misfortune and motivation and in doing so creates a deeply layered and personal portrayal. Bichir plays Carlos with subtlety, acting as much with his eyes as with his words, giving notice of the internal conflict waging within the man throughout his various struggles. It is truly an outstanding performance and one that carries significant weight.

The rest of A Better Life, though, doesn't quite measure up to the brilliance of the lead performer. Many of the early scenes come off as manufactured rather than organic, a polar opposite to the path that Bichir takes with his character. It is too earnest at times and that could cause cynical jerks like me to bail on the film before it ever really gets going. To be fair, A Better Life gets better as it goes and eventually leaves the safety of borderline-manipulative Oscar bait behind in favor of a more genuine tone but in some ways that makes the first act even more frustrating. There are also a handful of scenes that could have been edited out or restructured more purposefully and many of Bichir's colleagues fail to deliver at a compatible level with the film's star. Julian shows flashes of excellence but overall I found his performance to be spotty and less-than believable. I can't say whether the blame for this rests on Julian or the film's director, Chris Weitz, but the dynamic between father and son didn't always deliver. It would have been interesting to see Bichir go toe-to-toe with a more challenging co-star, similar to the interactions between George Clooney and Shailene Woodley in The Descendants.

What saves A Better Life from becoming yet another independent film that doesn't live up to the strength of its leading performer is the conclusion. Weitz saves his best work for last, creating a stirring, emotional scene in the very end in which Bichir delivers beautifully and which exhibits the very best of the relationship between Carlos and Luis. It is a hopeful, impactful finale that covers over the film's previous missteps and allowed me to leave with a higher opinion of the film than I might have had otherwise. The result is a good movie highlighted my one fantastic performance and brought home by one stirring scene.

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Greetings again from the darkness. Surprisingly, this movie doesn't choose sides in the political hot potato that is immigration reform. Instead, it plays as an intimate story of hope and desperation centered around the daily life of a father and son.

The father is Carlos (played by veteran actor Demian Bichir), an undocumented worker in Los Angeles who scrapes by working as a gardener and landscaper for another illegal immigrant. Carlos is raising a 15 year old son who was born in the U.S. They are alone because the mother bolted after discovering the high life available in this great country. Carlos, on the other hand, believes in work ethic and the bond of a handshake. His son Luis (Jose Julian) is fighting the daily battle of the streets - whether to join a gang for respect. Luis shows little outward respect for his hard-working father, who comes home sweaty and exhausted every day of the week.

When Carlos' boss approaches him about buying his truck and tools, Carlos first balks because he simply has no money, and he is intent on remaining "invisible". In his case, a simple traffic stop would mean deportation and the loss of his son. After a night of pondering, he borrows the money from his sister and buys the truck. Carlos tells his son that things will soon be better - better house, better school, etc. Luis is dubious and offers little support.

The story takes a turn when the truck is stolen by a day worker whom Carlos was trying to help. If you have ever seen Vittorio de Sica's "The Bicycle Thief", you will recognize some similarities. Father and son grow closer as they hunt for the thief. Luis sees his father's thoughtful actions and has trouble processing his calculated methods. The youngster is more about lashing out to show power. It's the only method he has seen at his school. Father knows best comes into play here.

The film is interesting enough and the scenes with both father and son are exceptional. As a whole, the film seems a bit empty as we really only get glimpses of the desperation and confusion that these two face every day - in completely different ways. It's directed by Chris Weitz, who has an unusual resume which includes both "Twilight: New Moon" and "About a Boy". His newest film really just reiterates what we already know about illegal immigrants. Some are here to milk the system, while others are here for 'a better life'.

I like how Chris Weitz kept the focus on the characters and avoided the usual politics of the subject matter. This movie kept the audience riveted to the screen without resorting to usual polemics found in similar subject films. Personally I think this movie is closer to "El Norte" than "The Bicycle Thief", maybe a mix of the two but still authentic. Superb performances by most of the cast including Demian Bichir as Carlos Galindo, newcomer Jose Julian as Luis Galindo, Joaquin Cosio as Blasco, Bobby Soto as Luis' friend. Richard Cabral, Jason Medwin and Tom Schanleys played very believable, three dimension roles. Eric Eason and Chris Weitz did a great job on balancing keeping it real and entertaining at the same time. Carlos, a Mexican gardener in the United States illegally doing all he can trying to single handed raise a son in a vulnerable age at a vulnerable time. If you are looking for a warm and heart felt movie without the overblown melodramas then this is a most see.

Honestly, I am not sure what to say about this film. Demian Bachir, best known for his role on "Weeds," received a completely unexpected Oscar nomination for his role as Carlos, a Mexican single father, gardener, and illegal immigrant in Los Angeles who does all he can to give him and his fourteen-year old son...you guessed it...a better life.

Not being very familiar with the situation of illegal immigrants in California, I would like to say that this seemed like a very genuine portrayal of the hardships that some of these men and women go through, but my assumption may or may not be an overstep. I cannot deny I was touched very much by this film even though I felt some what manipulated at times. It came across more like a Lifetime movie than a Hollywood release. However, if the film's point was to give an emotional side to the question and plight of illegal immigrants who are just trying to do good, it succeeded.

As for Bachir's Oscar nomination, I am not all together convinced it is deserving. I am in no way trying to take anything away from what is definitely a solid, almost heartbreaking performance but a handsome actor who, no doubt, has a bright future ahead of him in Hollywood, but I cannot help but think it just was not quite up to standard to have received such an honour and that the performance was nominated for political reasons rather than artistic ones.

"A Better Life" could have been a better movie, but in terms of the message it attempts to make, it is acknowledged, loud and clear.

2 Days back, Demián Bichir earned himself an Oscar-Nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for 'A Better Life'. And that was it, I saw 'A Better Life' exactly 24-hours later since his nomination was announced.

Demián Bichir delivers a Masterful Performance. A performance, that is so well-done, it come across as an astonishing embodiment. He elevates this film!

'A Better Life' Synopsis: A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had.

'A Better Life', even as a film, is worth-seeing, thanks to the the moving screenplay, written by Eric Eason. The relationship between the Father & his Son, is wonderfully handled & written. Chris Weitz Directs this Human-Drama, with bravery. Cinematography is eye-filling. Editing & Art Design, are decent.

On the whole, 'A Better Life' is well-made, but it's Demián Bichir's embodiment, that makes this film unmissable.

The film's beautiful simplicity is carried massively on the work of Demián Bichir, instantly and surely one of the best performances seen in 2011.

Quite simply put this is an absolutely amazing film.

Demian Bichir is top class and fully deserves his Oscar nomination and probably deserves it more than most of the other nominees's. People are saying its a shock nomination however if you have seen the film you will understand completely why he got it.

Truly beautiful and am not afraid to say it made me cry. i know this is a massive topic in the United States however absolutely anybody can and will connect with this film. its not just a tail about illegal immigrants its an incredibly powerful father and son tale.

I will be tuning in to the academy awards this Sunday hoping he can win it!

If anything just give the film a watch you wont be disappointed!

While feeling sympathy for the families of illegal immigrants, I also feel somewhat conflicted. What would the makers of this film suggest the United States government do about our southern border? Just let anyone and every one come in whenever they please? That's a recipe for catastrophe.

Sovereign states protect their sovereignty by enforcing their border laws. I feel the message in this film is that while every other nation on the planet has a right to protect their borders, somehow, the US doesn't. Laws don't matter because this certain subset of Mexicans and Central Americans want their way. When ICE breaks up families, they are evil, inhuman racists. No blame is assigned to the people that broke laws and put their families in danger. Why have laws when we're not allowed to enforce them?

I get that many wealthy Americans hire illegals because they are lazy or greedy. These people are a huge part of the problem. The law needs to come down on them as well as the illegals.

A complete revamp of our immigration laws is in order. We need to provide work permits to those who live productive and lawful lives. At the same time, we need to get control of our borders, whether it be a wall or troops at the border. Get it done

My husband and I went to see this film. I lived in Whittier for 25 years - So. CA. since the 50's and went to L.A. many times and had friends who lived difficult lives such as this. We thought the movie was wonderful and very "real"! I loved how Dad and son related.

I'm a pretty simple person and like to watch nice movies - I am definitely going to watch this movie again!!

The only thing I would change is to make sure I bring a box of Kleenex! I was so moved and hurt I couldn't leave the theater for at least 5 minutes!

Go see this movie - especially if you like true to life movies - it's inspiring & loving.

God bless everyone who experiences life this way. This movie inspired me to start praying for all who are in situations like these ones!

I wasn't sure how to begin my review of A Better Life, so I just thought I'd do so in a straightforward fashion. The screenplay and story spends a great deal of time on the relationship between father and son, Carlos and Luis. In the first half, their relationship feels somewhat cold and unconvincing. But somewhere in the second half, an unexpected emotional depth starts to arise as we discover their troubles and history.

The character of Luis may have needed someone a bit stronger to fill the role (Even if it's not really a bad performance), but Demian Bichir (One of the more pleasantly surprising Oscar nominations of the year) is consistently wonderful as Carlos. He seems to be giving the movie more than it tends to give him, with quiet but powerful emotion beneath the surface, all culminating beautifully in a scene near the end of the film. The movie's not always smooth, and the immigration arguments may feel one-sided at times, but the overall quality makes it worth looking up.

**1/2 out of ****

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Better Life" was a really good movie. It reminded my another good movie about similar life "The Visitor". This is a really inspiring and touching movie about single fathers "journey" to make a better life for his son (or as they say, to find American dream). The way is hard, and sure not everyone can go through it. It's really rare in these days to see such a simple story on a big screen, not overdone in special effects and stuff like that.

If you like simple and quiet but powerful stories, "Better Life" is one not to be missed.

A Very Good And Very Well Acted Film through an very good performance from Demian Bichir and also the other actors in the cast, along with good direction, cinematography, a very good and realistic story, and a very good background score makes this a movie worth watching.

The Story is about a gardener named Carlos Galindo(Demian) who is an illegal immigrant in East LA tries to give his son(Jose) a better life by giving him a good education and trying to keep him away from gangs, drugs etc. And then he buys a truck to start a business of his own, but when its stolen, he and his son go on a journey to find it back, and their father-son relationship getting better in the process, also with the son getting to know the hardships which his father and people like him have to face in their daily lives.

Demian Bichir portrays Carlos perfectly and he becomes the character in the movie, top marks to him for portraying this character perfectly. Jose Julian portrays Luis Galindo(who is the son of Carlos) very well and the change of his character is fittingly shown in the movie,and the chemistry between him and Bichir is superb, and you feel sometimes that they really are father and son in their real life. The Rest of the cast has also done their roles well.

The Director Chris Weitz(director of American Pie) does a very good job in making this film, helping the cast and specially the main characters adapt to their roles and also looking into the other parts of the film very well to make into a very good movie.

The Story of the movie is very good and realistic, and full marks to the director for utilizing this intense and heartfelt story very well. The Cinematography in the movie is also good with some of the scenes shown of LA being breathtaking. The Soundtrack is also superb due to an excellent work from Alexandre Desplat, also giving some Spanish songs in between the movie.

Finally, this is a really good movie with a good story and direction and a great performance by Demian to make this into one of the better films of 2011.

My Rating: 7.5/10

This movie was beautifully done. It gave me a completely different perspective on the plight of the illegal alien.

The bond between the father and the son were wonderfully portrayed in this movie. Anyone that has kids will be able to relate - the father just wants more for his son.

The plight of the Mexican is a bit of a lose - lose situation, as this film demonstrates. There is nothing for them in their own country; America is their only hope. Anyone would do the same thing as the lead character in this film - take the dangerous risk of immigrating to America - by whatever means necessary.

Of course it's definitely true that illegal immigrants from Mexico don't have the best reputation in America, to say the very least. It's a big problem but of course there always is a very human side to their stories and not everything is always as black and white as some people would suggest. This movie gives illegal Mexican immigrants a human face, by telling a very human, subtle, little drama.

The movie had all of the ingredients in it to become a formulaic and predictable drama. It also didn't had a big budget behind it, or any big names involved, so this movie very easily could had become a very forgettable and unremarkable one. Yet the movie manages to become way more than that, by cleverly avoiding most of the clichés you would expect in a movie like this and by not going for any cheap sentiments.

The movie actually manages to surprise you by the direction it is taking at times. At certain moments it is suggesting to you it is going to head into a certain direction but then it's doing something totally different and unexpected. Plot lines are often being dropped for something totally new and different and in this case that is an approach that actually works out well for this movie and its overall realism and drama.

What I also really liked about the approach was that it was constantly following a father and his 14-year old son. And no matter how bad they seem to have it, they come across people who are off far worse than they are. It puts things totally in a different perspective and light at times, which works out originally for its story as well.

Yet I still don't rate this movie THAT highly and I also can't say this is an absolute must-see. It obviously is a very recommendable movie but still at the same time it also is being too little and simplistic with its resources to make a true lasting impression or a big impact. It's a movie that will stay on your mind for a while but not one you will still think about much or highly, a couple of months, or so, later. This is not really being any criticism toward the movie itself though, since it does, what it does, oh so well.

So yes, it definitely is a movie worth checking out because of its subject and the way it's handling it.

7/10

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Chris Weitz did a screening of this film at SMC, where I study film, and the reactions of the audience were engaging. The room was filled with a great aura and that was because the screening was filled with people with ethnicities from all over the world and that made the experience a lot more rewarding.

This guy is the same one that brought us American Pie and the second installment of the Twilight series? Yes he is, but let me tell you something, if these paychecks will make him do more movies like this one, then bring another 4 twilight adaptations right now!

The movie is about "Los Mojados", these people who everyday crosses the border from Mexico to the US to look for "A Better Life" like the title implies, trying not to forget their roots, their culture and at the same time struggling to find money to pay the rent, to eat and to survive in the United States without a SSN and without ID. You will wonder why we need to prove we're not from Mars with a visa if God already gave us permission to be here on earth every single second of the movie, absurd and unfair things this world has.

The acting by Demián Bichir, who looks like a younger Vicente Fernández to me, is invisible. You sometimes think you're watching a documentary if it wasn't for the glossy production value of the flick.

This movie needs to be seen by a wider audience, you need to look for it. If you do not feel touch by it, you're surely made out of stone.

The direction by Chris Weitz captures the essence of East LA in a second. There's a scene in the movie where in a matter of 3 minutes you can see how many cultures collide in this side of Los Angeles and how this story can repeat itself in several cultures.

This is also a story about true love between a father and a son, and how you can forget about everything and try every little thing to give your child the things he deserves.

One of the best little movies I have seen this year.

PS: If you like this one, and you're not afraid of B&W cinematography (no, it is not in 3D either) run and rent De Sica's Umberto D., a great masterpiece of Italian neorealism.

Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir) is a hard-working Mexican illegal in L.A. He's a single dad and fears his son Luis is falling into bad company while dating Ruthie Valdez who has family in the gang. His boss Blasco is looking to sell his truck and return to Mexico. Carlos gets $12k loan from his poor sister to buy the truck. He hires Santiago from a street corner but he steals the truck on his first day. Carlos can't go to the cops. It's a desperate search by Carlos and Luis for the all important truck.

This is a terrific performance from Demián Bichir. The story is basically 'The Bicycle Thief' grafted onto the illegal immigrant experience in America. The first half does move a little slow. However the movie builds to such a powerful emotional climax.

Demián Bichir is simply brilliant in this film as the father trying to raise a son in gangland California. Admittadly most critics haven't even seen this film but Demián Bichir deserves an Oscar nod for his excellent role in this heartwarming film. I don't care how overlooked this film was by the masses, it is an excellent film, an award winning film, the stuff that will survive the centuries. The fact that the critics ignored it is only proof of how lame the critics are, not at all a statement about the quality of this movie. Best Actor Nod, all the way.

I can not say it enough, Oscar Material

A good film portraying the reality of millions of people living in the United States. Definitely a heartstring-tugger for viewers with immigrant families. Yet, the film does not do enough to help non-immigrant viewers emphasize with the story.

The story itself revolves around a do-good father and a son who is coming to age. Some moments felt cliche. Some felt forced. Some felt unnatural. There were places where I had to step back and ask myself "why was this included in the movie?"

I'd rate this a 3/5. The movie moved a bit slow and could have done more justice in telling its story. Nevertheless, it's still a good film to watch in its genre.

A Better Life is a character drama about an illegal immigrant. Just with that sentence you probably have in your head an idea of exactly how the movie is going to plain out, and honestly you probably aren't far off. The film didn't really stray at all from the conventions of it's type, but it's lifted up by the sensational performance of Demian Bichir in the lead role. Bichir's Carlos Galindo is an immigrant gardener who is trying to keep his head down, survive and take care of his fourteen year old son.

The story starts off a little loose, focusing more on it's character and the themes that can face an illegal immigrant in America. There's some subplot with the son being courted by a gang at his school that is pretty poorly done and terribly written, but I think the first act is where the film is working at it's best. It tackles these themes in ways that I found interesting and, on the shoulders of Bichir's great work, emotionally involving.

There's a plot move at the end of the first act that turns the whole thing into something more focused, but in focusing it down this narrative I think the film loses a lot of what it had going for it. Gone are the powerful, socially relevant themes and instead they're replaced with a half-hearted father/son relationship and a typical narrative that attempts to give thrills but mostly comes up empty. It's never a movie that I had a hard time watching and it moves at a pretty brisk pace, but I was disappointed by the conventional route it ended up taking after having so much potential at first.

Still, the whole thing is worth watching for Bichir's internally explosive performance. He really is everything that the few people who have seen this film have claimed him to be; he wears this character like he lived in it his whole life. It's one of those performances that is fused with an authenticity to the point where you forget he's acting and you might not realize just how impressive he is.

Every blink of his eye, every movie of his jaw is in tune with this character and he delivers a subtle, heartbreaking portrayal. You can feel the weight of his burdens pushing down on his back at all times, constantly trying to climb a mountain of obstacles just to see his son grow up strong, healthy and morally just. It's a brilliant performance that improves a disappointingly standard film.