It speaks well enough about the fate of immigrants everywhere, especially those who want to work hard but end up being exploited.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 29, 2011

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 29, 2011

Bichir carries it all with a measured performance of considerable emotion as the dad, clenched by so many years holding his breath, waiting for the knock at the door.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 28, 2011

Fresh, human, insightful, moving.

| Jul 28, 2011

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.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 28, 2011

The didacticism takes the shine off Weitz's accomplishment, even if the film builds up enough empathy to generate slow-burning emotional impact.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 27, 2011

An interesting exploration of class struggle which recalls classics like Bicycle Thieves but doesn't quite live up to them.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 24, 2011

Bichir delivers a powerful, nuanced performance as a stoic but complex character who treats everyone -- even those who have wronged him -- with a dignity he rarely receives.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 15, 2011

The people here seem real, their world is shaky at best, and the political tension that permeates everything in this film feels palpable.

| Original Score: B+ | Jul 15, 2011

Personalizes the illegal immigrant experience and digs much deeper into what has become a national disgrace.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 15, 2011

"A Better Life" might not change any minds about immigration policy, but it illuminates the conversation with context, compassion and understanding.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 15, 2011

Notwithstanding its modest scope, "A Better Life" richly documents the life of an invisible man.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 15, 2011

Weitz, who directed the excellent 2002 Hugh Grant movie, "About a Boy," once more does a sensitive job with iffy material.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 14, 2011

A compassionate character study of a man modeling the values of heart, hard work, self-respect, and self-reliance to his spawn.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 14, 2011

It's generic and small but manages to reel you in and surprise you with its grimness.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 14, 2011

If we can see how things will play out long before the characters do, it's still powerful and, one gets the feeling, valuable - not just as a document of the immigration struggle but as a film.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 8, 2011

Unlike its multifaceted director, the film never stretches its boundaries.

| Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jul 8, 2011

A major star in Mexico, Bichir is quietly affecting as the father, a humble striver who faces loss at every turn.

| Jul 8, 2011

The film's trajectory is rather predictable, but then so was the story told by "The Bicycle Thief." But the performances are pitch perfect...

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 7, 2011

It's straight, true and heartbreaking, a masterstroke of raw emotional minimalism.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 1, 2011