Under the Same Moon (PG-13) *** | Focus on humanity, not political debate
Posted on Fri, Mar. 21, 2008
BY RENE RODRIGUEZ
FOX SEARCHLIGHT
America Ferrera, Jesse Garcia, center, and Adrian Alonso star in Under the Same Moon.
This review previously was published during the Miami International Film Festival earlier this month.
La misma luna (Under the Same Moon) is an endearingly sweet fable about a hotly debated subject. Director Patricia Riggen and screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos use a graceful touch and a tender approach to character in this story of a 9-year-old boy (Adrian Alonso) who crosses the Mexico-U.S. border on his own to reunite with his mother (Kate Del Castillo), an illegal immigrant working as a maid in Los Angeles.
Rosario, the mother, had left son Carlitos in the care of his grandmother (Angelina Paláez) when she left Mexico, hoping to save enough money to send for him quickly. But four years elapse, and when the grandmother dies unexpectedly, the resourceful boy embarks on a dangerous trek to California to find his mother.
The remarkable performances by Alonso (who is actually 14) and Del Castillo allow the viewer to share the bond between mother and son, anchoring Under the Same Moon with a humanity that transcends personal politics and stances on immigration law. Instead of delivering a pointed statement, this timely and energetic crowd-pleaser aims for -- and accomplishes -- something much more difficult: It makes you fall in love with its characters.
Cast: Adrian Alonso, Kate Del Castillo, Eugenio Derbez, Maya Zapata, Carmen Salinas, America Ferrera
Director: Patricia Riggen
Screenwriter: Ligiah Villalobos.
Producers: Gerardo Barrera, Lorenzo OBrien, Patricia Riggen
A Fox Searchlight release. Running time: 109 minutes. Mature thematic elements. In Spanish with English subtitles. Playing at area theaters.
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