Review of Crossing Over (2009) by Matthew O — 12 Apr 2010

Immigrants from around the world enter Los Angeles every day, with hopeful visions of a better life, but little notion of what that life may cost. Their desperate scenarios test the humanity of immigration enforcement officers. "In Crossing Over," writer-director Wayne Kramer explores the allure of the American dream, and the reality that immigrants find--and create--in 21st century L.A.

There have been a number of films which use one theme and build story strands around the theme, most recently the 2004 'Crash' and 'Traffic'. Sadly 'Crossing Over' doesn?t quite know what to do with the number of threads the film produces from a story that evolves around immigration in America. There are a total of at least five stories goings on in this film, and not one really gets the in depth comment it deserves. If there is a story it revolves round murder and not really connected to the main theme at all.

Harrison Ford is the lead but his story and performance is just underwhelming and at times the actor is reduced to a supporting role in a film that has no real lead story or role.

Everything drags along at a rather dull running time, which is a shame as there are good actors here and main of the performances are effective, who must have felt the film was an interesting premise, which it is, but a lazy direction, and dull set of characters never really raise the film to anything which it should have with the talented cast.