Better Life, A

Synopsis
ABOUT A BOY director Chris Weitz takes the helm for this affecting drama about an illegal immigrant who struggles to give his teenage son a better life by working as a gardener in L.A. Determined to move out of the city in order to get his son away from gangs and into a decent school, the devoted father comes into possession of a truck that allows him to earn a better income by taking more gardening jobs. But with immigration agents on every corner and vicious gangsters trying to lure his son into a life of crime, it's a constant struggle just to survive in such an unforgiving city without being deported. Demián Bichir, José Julián, and Dolores Heredia star in a film written by Eric Eason (JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT).

Reviews
"A BETTER LIFE is must-see viewing, poignantly revealing what it's like living confined to the shadows of contemporary society." (USA Today)

5 stars out of 5 -- "The timing is right for this remarkable and riveting family drama which puts a human face on the hot-button topic of immigration in such effective and emotional terms that you may never look at the subject in the same way again." (Box Office)

"By keeping things simple and understated, Weitz and screenwriter Eric Eason have crafted a little gem where humanity is observed with compassion, not condescension." (Hollywood Reporter)

"[A]n emotionally resonant film about how we live now....A BETTER LIFE involves a struggle to hold onto a home of one's own." (New York Times)

"The story is an urgent one and its frame is well chosen." (Movieline)

"Bichir gives a superb slow simmer of a performance. His Carlos is a silent striver who embodies a humanity that is ultimately heartbreaking." -- Grade: B+ (Entertainment Weekly)

3.5 stars out of 4 -- "[T]he story takes on some of the shape of THE BICYCLE THIEF....The performances are pitch perfect..." (Chicago Sun-Times)

3 stars out of 4 -- "Chris Weitz cuts deep in this tale....This movie will get under your skin." (Rolling Stone)

3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]ts obvious debt to BICYCLE THIEVES is repaid with sincere sentiment and strong acting." (Total Film)

"[A] gently understated tale....[Bichir's] performance -- much of it in subtitled Spanish -- is all the affecting for being utterly unshowy." (Sight and Sound)