Over the years I've found that one of the biggest challenges facing film-makers is striking the right balance between sentimentality and organic emotion. As a film-going culture, we seem to have developed an attitude that believes that happy endings reside in the realm of fantastical escapism. Happy endings may be all right for comedies, action films, and animation, but a film-maker's credibility can suddenly be challenged if more serious dramas end on a positive note. Robert M. Young's Alambrista! is one of those rare films that manages to have a very, very happy ending without it seeming forced or contrived. The film follows a Mexican laborer who illegally immigrates to the United States in order to earn more money for his family. He makes and loses friends, jobs, and even loves along the way before coming to the final realization that being with his family is more important than any form of material wealth. And, yes, that is a rather ordinary story. And, yes, I did just spoil the ending. But Alambrista! is a film about the journey, not the destination. Filmed with a careful, almost neorealist eye, the film is fascinated by how the protagonist eats, sleeps, escapes police, and travels. And yet, at no point does any of this seem unnecessary, boring, or tedious. A great director and cinematographer can electrify anything with their camera. And from the magnificent opening tracking shot of a small stream of water rolling through a Mexican farm, Alambrista! mesmerizes with its beauty, simplicity, honesty, and naturalistic optimism.
9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment