Dir: Chris Weitz, USA, 2011, 98 mins
Cast: Demian Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia,
Review by Mark Byrnes
Carlos Galindo (Bichir) lives on the fringes of American society as an illegal immigrant, constantly facing the threat of deportation back to his native Mexico. Working as a landscape gardener Carlos struggles as a single parent to raise his wayward teenage son Luis (Julián), who is increasingly tempted by the lure of gang life. Carlos is offered the chance to buy a pick-up truck from his soon-to-retire boss and with it an opportunity to secure his family’s future by becoming his own boss. With the help of a loan from his naturalised sister Anita (Heredia), Carlos begins life as a private contractor. But when an act of kindness comes back to haunt him, Carlos embarks on a desperate search for his stolen truck with Luis unexpectedly joining his father in his quest.
This retelling of Vittoria De Sica’s neo-realist classic, Bicycle Thieves is updated to present day Los Angeles, where the missing bicycle is now the missing truck. The central father/son relationship remains, albeit with much less of De Sica’s overt political commentary. Director Chris Weitz goes to great lengths to give his film an air of authenticity, shooting on location and even opting for much of the film to be in the native Spanish language of many of the city’s inhabitants. The Los Angeles of plush mansions with opulent gardens is contrasted with the cramped boarding houses where many of the city’s immigrant workers are hidden from view.
In the hands of a more political director this could have been a very different film, one in which the inequalities in American society would be pored over and critiqued. But Weitz is more interested in the universal themes this story offers of a father and son overcoming their differences to face adversity together and learning a few life lessons from each other along the way. The importance of the family unit, no matter how fractured, seems to reinforce an ideal which is prevalent in much of American cinema.
All of this would be for nothing without the solid central performances of Demian Bichir and newcomer José Julián. The pair have a believable chemistry as father and son, without which the film’s genuine moments of drama would be rendered flat. Bechir, part of a revered acting family in his native Mexico, clearly makes the role his own, imbuing Carlos with real humanity and dignity. Julián holds his own with his experienced co-star playing the troubled teen, who resents his father but slowly grows to respect him after they embark on their ill-fated venture.
While A Better Life may play it safe with its politics, it more than satisfies with a story that shines thanks to its two wonderful lead performers.
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