Even those whose politics might run counter to filmmaker Patricia Riggen's Under the Same Moon will find it difficult to resist the emotional tug of this film, which centers on a darling young Mexican boy named Carlitos (Adrian Alonso) and his mother Rosario (Kate del Castillo), who love one another dearly, but are separated: Rosario works as a cleaning woman in Los Angeles, while 9-year-old Carlitos lives with his grandmother in Mexico. When his grandma suddenly dies, Carlitos arranges to be smuggled to the U.S., but after making it across the border, things go wrong and he winds up attaching himself to a gruff, solitary illegal immigrant named Enrique (Eugenio Derbez), who reluctantly agrees to take Carlitos to the City of Angels. After Rosario learns about her son's journey, she frets about his safety, while also struggling to cope with losing her job and searching for a means to acquire citizenship. The two story threads here—the mother-son bond and the relationship between Carlitos and father figure Enrique—are very effective in pulling at the viewer's heartstrings. Of course, in terms of the hot-button immigration issue, Under the Same Moon doesn't attempt to present a balanced view, but ultimately this is a human tale, not a political statement, and those who watch it on those terms are likely to find the film both engaging and touching. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 27-minute “making-of” featurette, a 12-minute segment on a mural created for the film, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning film.] (F. Swietek)
Under the Same Moon
Fox, 110 min., in English & Spanish w/English subtitles, PG-13, DVD: $29.99, June 17 Volume 23, Issue 3
Under the Same Moon
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