Directed by Gregory Nava
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)
A Guatemalan family is broken up when their father is killed by the military and other family members arrested. A brother and sister manage to escape, but must leave the country or also risk arrest. They travel north through Mexico to the American border, where they search for a "coyote" to help them across. After one failed attempt, they make it by crawling through a sewer pipe. In LA, they find menial jobs in a factory and restaurant. Over time and hard work, they scrape out a decent living, earning promotions and even learning English in night classes. However, the ever present danger of arrest and deportment hovers over their lives. A key scene in a hospital is clumsily acted and lacked its intended emotional impact, perhaps due to the inexperience of the young actors. An occasionally haunting work, but also a somewhat predictable three-act story.
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