A Better Life tells the tale of an illegal immigrant father and his American born teenage son. The father is a sincere and honest man who works exhausting hours as a landscaper so his fourteen year old can live a better life than what would have been available to him back in Mexico. Their relationship is a strained one, as the boy is at an age of natural rebellion and is embarrassed by his father’s profession. But the father quietly endures, not minding the subtle indignations as long as his son stays out of trouble and gets an education. He even buys the truck from his retiring employer so he can carry on his work without standing on the corner waiting to be selected as a day laborer. Unfortunately, the truck is stolen, and the father and son go on a near impossible journey to get it back. Through the course of their search together the son gains a better understanding of his dad and learns what it means to be a father, and an American.
The story of A Better Life is a simple one, but don’t let that put you off. As this well executed tale will prove, simple is sweet. The very first thing you notice about A Better Life is the stillness and quiet beauty of the cinematography and acting. Unlike other summer releases, this one is not loaded down with a bunch of fancy camera tricks or any kind of special effects other than those provided by the subtle and heartfelt performances so lovingly caught on film. And I do mean film, for this production used an old fashioned camera, providing a warm and intimate feel one can only get when shooting with actual film stock. The choice seems poignantly fitting. An old fashioned feel for an old fashioned film that offers something you rarely get from a Hollywood product anymore; a well-constructed story that entertains and satisfies.
This rare achievement is particularly impressive considering that Chris Weitz’s first two films as a solo director include the fantasy extravaganza The Golden Compass and the second installment of the Twilight films, New Moon (Weitz’s other directing credits are shared with his brother, Paul). That’s a huge swing of the pendulum; one few would expect from someone use to hundred million dollar budgets. Of course the budgets may have been very large, but the decisions were not always his to make. With a smaller budget the director gets to make more of the decisions, and in this case it appears to have paid off. One of the decisions was to shoot on real locations in Los Angeles with a bilingual cast and crew, even though Weitz himself could not speak Spanish before shooting began. It was a choice he made in order to pay honor to the cohesive intent of the film, a conscious nod to the coming together of different worlds. This thematic homage really shows through, lending the film an added depth of authenticity in every single frame.
I will not spoil the experience of this film by giving away its ending, or even mentioning one of the most thrilling moments of the film that prompted the audience I watched it with to explode into applause. I will tell you that the film has similarities to the classic film The Bicycle Thieves, which is not surprising since Weitz has mentioned watching a lot of Italian neo-realism and De Sica before beginning production. That being said there is no neat, happy ending. The conclusion is a complicated and realistic one that leaves room for possibilities. But I think intelligent audiences will appreciate the opportunity to think for themselves. Better yet, intelligent audiences will appreciate a good film without a bunch of fancy frills and post-production sweetening. Without a doubt, “A Better Life” is the best bang for the buck so far this summer. With filmmaking this clean and simple, how can you go wrong?
October 2015 update: By the way, I predicted that the lead actor, Demian Bichir would be nominated for an Oscar for his performance. And even thought this was a small film that almost no one saw, he was. Unfortunately, it was the same year a s The Artist and Bichir lost the Best Actor statuette to Jean Dujardin. Hopefully, we will see more of Bichir on the big screen soon.