Review of Crossing Over (2009) by Joe G — 25 Jun 2013
Never before have I liked a movie so much that the critics have panned so consistently. A very world-weary Harrison Ford leads a talented ensemble cast exploring the experiences of undocumented immigrants in the USA and the immigration officers who deal with them.
The focus here is not on the immigrants' flying under the radar (as with so many movies of this genre) but on their achieving naturalization, and what the various characters go through in pursuit of that goal is by turns tragic, brutal, provocative, and funny.
One or two of the immigrant stories are clichéd, but each character is complex and fully developed. Also, immigrants from all over the world AND the immigration officers get equal screen time, and I found that both interesting and refreshing.
The performances are all excellent and the writing and plotting are skillful and powerful, so I found a lot to like and not much to dislike. Four stars.
This review of Crossing Over (2009) was written by Joe G on 25 Jun 2013.
Crossing Over has generally received mixed reviews.
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