A Better Life [HD]

A Tale of Compassion
"A Better Life" is a poignant story about the struggle of an honest, profoundly decent man to survive as an illegal alien in LA. Utterly devoid of political posturing and moralizing, the film deals instead with the universal human yearning for security, stability, and at least some degree of happiness in one's life.

Completely devoted to his teenage son Luis (José Julián), Carlos Galindo (Demian Bichir) maintains his humanity and dignity in the face of greed, deception, and cruelty. The inescapable precariousness of his situation underscores the futility of Carlos' efforts to better the life of his son as well as to improve his own condition. The dream of owning a business, moving to a better neighborhood, and giving his son a good education remains just that - a dream. In the end, an illegal, Carlos submits himself to the law and accepts its harsh verdict of deportation only to attempt to cross the border again, this time to reunite with his son...

Dramatic and touching.
An illegal immigrant is raising his son in California, working as a day laborer. He buys a work truck, which is stolen from him. His dream of a better life for him and his boy are in danger unless he can get the truck back. This is a film that portrays a realistic view of life for people living in the U. S. without legal status and the pitfalls of living in a place where you have no legal rights. There is no preachy liberal immigrant-rights content here, but just a dramatic example of what many in this country experience on a daily basis. There is solid acting throughout, as this one is very well-done, and hopefully will find an audience.

Examining Lives - A Father and Son Love Story
A BETTER LIFE is one of the more understated films to come out of Hollywood, a film that has the courage to tell a story that is so politically charged - the immigration debate - that releasing it now is on the one hand asking for negative responses and on the other hand offers to the public the real truths behind our quandary about immigration. This country consists of immigrants - all of us - no matter how far back we have to trace our ancestry: the only people who did not begin their family history as immigrants from every country in the world and the Native Americans, and look how we are treating them! If this film does nothing else than plead the case of human understanding it will have accomplished more than legions of films that touch this subject too lightly.

Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir, in an extraordinarily fine performance) crossed the border into the US with his new wife, looking for a way to improve his life. Upon arriving his wife gave birth to...

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