Nick Redmon This movie invokes an emotional response to immigration. I was on the edge of my seat during the movie. This film portrays a real story and is not Hollywoodized or anything. As a teacher I will show this film in class as we discuss the gritty issue of immigration. I hope my students will feel more compassion for Latino immigrants after watching this film, and see another side of the issue. A sequel should be made. I don't want to give any spoilers away - so I will keep this review strictly on the film overview. The scenes felt real, because the crew went into sketchy areas of LA to film specific scenes. The compassion the father has for his son is outstandingly portrayed in the actor's acting. The film has a great ending.

TheMovieSnob247 What a fantastic film. I heard about it briefly, but had no intention to watch it. But when Demian Bichir got nominated for Best Actor I decided to give it a go. And I'm really happy I did. Demian gives the most genuine, moving performance I've seen from an actor this year. While I had felt that Jean Dujardin was a lock for the Oscar (Clooney was a little over rated in The Descendants, I just didn't believe his character enough), after this I changed my mine. He should have won for this incredible performance.The story is pretty fairly straight forward. He's an illegal Immigrant from Mexico trying to make a better life for himself and his son. He has to work long hours as a gardener. Because he has to work so much, he has little time for his son and struggles to relate to him because of it. He also feels his son doesn't really understand or value his heritage and he wants to teach him this and how to be a good man. Given his predicament this is very hard, but he does what he can.There are some great moments in the film. For me the most moving of which is when his son decides to help him retrieve something that was stolen from them. They are just able to narrowly escape without harm and in that moment their first father/son moment is forged and they finally bond together. Bichir captured this so genuinely it had me fighting tears. It was a very subtle scene but it really hit me, seemingly out of nowhere.Now what I also loved about this was how relevant this film was with the immigration issue raging in the states. And the film wasn't too preachy. It just honestly presented what's happening. While he was clearly a good man, he was here and worked illegally. And while your heart broke for him at times, you had to remember that laws are laws and need to be upheld. While he was really was a good person, other immigrants had less honest intentions. So it's really a very complex, shades of grey type situation. The film didn't have an agenda and was just honest about it. And I loved it for that. At the end of the film I didn't find myself on either side of the debate. I just felt a sense of sorrow for so many people that you know are going through this. Can you judge each person on an individual basis? Can an illegal immigrant be judged based on their how they've lived their life once here? This is a complex situation and this film is an accurate representation of it. One of the best (and sadly unrecognized) films of 2011.http://andretms.blogspot.ca/@the_movie_snob

Ketan Gupta A better life was nice laid back film which was entertaining in parts but was overshadowed by stupendous performance by Demian BichirA Better Life tells a story about a struggling father who is craving for a better school for his son's education , better place to stay and do something on his own.When I heard about Demian Bichir getting Oscar nod for his acting , I was thrilled to watch this flick. The movie has a simple story about a torn relationship between father and son and how father wants to make things better and spend some quality time with son. It is the simplicity that draws attention and makes it worth watching at least once. The movie starts off well with character building and some heart warming scenes but looses the steam afterwards. The 2nd half is little bit of engaging but the climax is saved by superb performance by Demian where he promises his boy to come back. Direction is good but screenplay could have been more crispy. Cinematography is decent along with nice background score. Damein Bichir is the remarkable who carries the film on his shoulder. He fits into the character that you feel sympathy for him Overall , very nice drama with some loose ends but goes well with superb performance by Damein Bichir.

Fatima Tobar The film "A better life" had a very interesting and touching storyline. What caught my attention the most was the relationship between the father and his son. It was very hard for the son to accept and understand his father's customs/traditions. I bet it had been hard for the father to put up with his son's attitude and views and being a single father at the same time. There is a lot of struggles and obstacles that people face in life, but we as people can do the best we can to help others have a better life so they won't have to go through a life with limited resources. Also, no matter the stereotypes a person faces you should never turn your backs on your traditions/cultures and more important your family.