A Better Life (2011) | agoodmovietowatch

Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans

A Better Life 7.6 2011 Movie

A Better Life

Dir. Cedric Kahn & Chris Weitz · United States of America · English, Spanish

The illegal immigrant experience, portrayed with heart

Our take by Bilal Zouheir

Demian Bichir was nominated for an Oscar for his role in this movie where he plays an illegal immigrant and father. You might be wondering “who is that?”, but trust me you won’t after watching this movie. The kindness, complexity, and authenticity he brings to this story are unparalleled.

A Better Life is about the illegal immigrant experience, about the line between the fear of being caught and the aspiration for a better future. It’s an excellent and important movie. 

What happens

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.

What the critics said

Notable Critics

"The story unfolds without hagiography, pity, or trumped-up heroism, as the filmmaker approaches the lives of everyday people with modest compassion and imaginative sympathy."

— Richard Brody

"Not as insightful as it could've been but something to chew on for those who like their social commentary a touch on the light and fluffy side."

— Jason Goodyer

Comments

Add your review

Your email address will not be published.*

About the author

Bilal Zouheir

Bilal Zouheir

Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is US-based and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.