A Better Life

2011

Action / Drama / Romance

6
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 86% · 104 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 79% · 10K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 16878 16.9K

immigrant california garden truck undocumented immigrant gardener

Plot summary

A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while traveling across town to perform landscaping work for the city's wealthy landowners.

Director

Chris Weitz Photo
Chris Weitz

Top cast

Chelsea Rendon Photo
Chelsea Rendon as Ruthie Valdez
Joaquín Cosio Photo
Joaquín Cosio as Blasco Martinez
Tim Griffin Photo
Tim Griffin as Juvie Officer
Richard Cabral Photo
Richard Cabral as Marcelo Valdez
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
896.4 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 37 min
Seeds ...
1.8 GB
1920*1072
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 37 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by bdgill12 7 / 10

Outstanding Performance Gives Weight to an Alright Film

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.Please see my reviews at thesoapboxoffice.blogspot.com
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Reviewed by med77_99 8 / 10

An eye opener

the story in short is that of an illegal immigrant named Carlos Galindo, played by Demian Bichir who is trying to make a living for him and his son, played by Jose Julian in the tough streets of Los Angeles.

Desperate to have a better life, Carlos decides to take a debt, a loan to buy a truck to make a better business, but without having the legal papers and driver's license, he is caught in a dilemma between making a decent living and avoiding deportation.

to avoid spoiling any more of the plot, i will stop here.

the movie was very good, definitely enjoyable. the story is very touching and engaging. i never felt bored. the plot moved in a very steady pace.

the characters were interesting, and the acting was pretty good, Bichir actually delivered a solid performance. i really felt connected to the characters.

the best thing about the movie, is the story as it was a window to the lives of the poor, their struggling and motivation for a better life. it was certainly an eye opener of the blessings that most of us have.

It is a surprise to me how a very good movie like this don't get a wide theatrical release. but anyways, if it is playing near you, i highly recommend this.

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