{"id":10985,"date":"2020-03-26T15:56:04","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T19:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/?p=10985"},"modified":"2026-08-25T13:01:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T17:01:40","slug":"a-better-life-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/?p=10985","title":{"rendered":"A Better Life-2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Better Life-2011<\/strong><\/p>\n

Director Chris Weitz<\/strong><\/p>\n

Starring Demian Bichir<\/strong><\/p>\n

Scott’s Review #1,004<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Reviewed March 26, 2020<\/p>\n

Grade: B+<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Better Life (2011) is a heartwarming and timely project that focuses on and showcases Hispanic culture, both positively and negatively.<\/p>\n

The film explores illegal immigration amid a powerful family drama.<\/p>\n

Lead actor Demian Bichir deservedly earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his sensitive portrayal of a man who wants only the best for his son, even as life stacks the odds against him.<\/p>\n

The film is an atypical Hollywood production, told simply and with heart.<\/p>\n

Carlos Galindo (Bichir) is a struggling Los Angeles gardener who manicures the lawns of the rich and famous in sunny California with his partner and close friend Blasco.<\/p>\n

Carlos lives a content life but is always on guard because he is an illegal immigrant and worries about his son Luis (Jose Julian) falling in with the wrong crowd.<\/p>\n

When one day Carlos’s sister loans him $12,000 to purchase a truck he needs for his job, he hits his stride, only to have the truck stolen.<\/p>\n

Desperate, Carlos and Luis are determined to get back the truck while avoiding trouble with the law.<\/p>\n

The film’s title, while basic and not sexy, is powerful in its simplicity. Bold and thought-provoking, this is merely what Carlos wants for Luis and what every father wants for his son.<\/p>\n

His trials and tribulations are a constant; he strives to teach Luis to stay on a positive path and avoid the mistakes Carlos made.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the political discussion the film could have, what lies beneath is a heartwarming story of cherished love between a man and his son.<\/p>\n

Cleverly, the film provides a hopeful final message for both major characters.<\/p>\n

I adore the rich Mexican culture the film represents. A battle of traditional appreciation of one’s roots versus immersing oneself in American culture is examined.<\/p>\n

Nearly the entire cast is of Hispanic descent, and with numerous scenes of ethnic flavor, from restaurants and cafes to nightclubs and street life, the film is authentic and fresh.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, the filmmakers do not try to pull off the insulting ploy of casting white actors clad in Mexican garb or a big-name actor in the role of Carlos.<\/p>\n

Many of the characters even seem like non-actors.<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles setting is highly successful, especially since the low-budget independent film uses tons of exterior shots.<\/p>\n

The camerawork isn’t exceptional but feels fresh, letting the warm climate marinate with viewers so they feel immersed in the Southern California neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

The contrast between the East Los Angeles area where Carlos lives versus where he works is a harsh reality for most landscapers.<\/p>\n

Bichir more than deserves the accolades heaped upon him for this mesmerizing and intelligent role. He quietly portrays an empathetic man who is an unsung hero and a representative of many fathers who never get their due respect, especially if they are undocumented immigrants.<\/p>\n

When Luis denounces Mexican music, Carlos’s pain is evident as he endures what surely breaks his heart.<\/p>\n

Bichir’s realism and commitment to the characters’ truth drive the film.<\/p>\n

A Better Life (2011) is a story rich with poignancy and relevance, showcasing the plight of a good man. Now, almost ten years later, the film is arguably more important than ever since immigration has become a hot-ticket item in the turbulent political climate.<\/p>\n

Do hardworking, undocumented people deserve a break from being in the United States? The answer seems obvious, and the film skews steadily to the left, but is there any other strong viewpoint?<\/p>\n

Oscar Nominations:<\/strong> Best Actor-Demian Bichir<\/p>\n

Independent Spirit Award Nominations:\u00a0<\/strong>Best Male Lead-Demian Bichir<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Better Life-2011 Director Chris Weitz Starring Demian Bichir Scott’s Review #1,004 Reviewed March 26, 2020 Grade: B+ A Better Life (2011) is a heartwarming and timely project that focuses on and showcases Hispanic culture, both positively and negatively. The film explores illegal immigration amid a powerful family drama. Lead actor Demian Bichir deservedly earned … Continue reading A Better Life-2011<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[82,192,41,211,11666,11823],"tags":[3274,3275,12516,1899,12517,12515],"class_list":["post-10985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2011-films","category-dramas","category-indiefilms","category-indie-dramas","category-los-angeles","category-social-issues","tag-chris-weitz","tag-demian-bichir","tag-dolores-heredia","tag-jami-gertz","tag-joaquin-cosio","tag-jose-julian"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10985"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24203,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10985\/revisions\/24203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}