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Directed by: Jim Sheridan Starring: Paddy Considine, Samantha Morton, Djimon Hounsou, Sarah and Emma Bolger "In America" is the story of a poor family of Irish immigrants trying to make it in New York City after having lost their son Frankie to a brain tumor. Living in a building inhabited by drug addicts, the family tries to make the best of their situation. The father, Johnny, is hard at work trying to support his two daughters by making a career as a Broadway actor. But the death of Frankie and the guilt the parents feel about it continually gets in the way of any enjoyment to be had of being in a new land, and is a constant driving force throughtout this movie all the way to its final line. Djimon Hounsou (the big black guy from Gladiator and Amistad) plays Mateo, one of the family's neighbors, whom the two daughters stumble upon while trick or treating through their building. A disturbed and reclusive individual, Mateo is sort of "brought to life" by the two girls and is involved in many touching scenes, including one discussion with the youngest daughter about "E.T." Mateo becomes very important to the family in many ways, including a gift he gives towards the end of the film. Hounsou's acting in this role is incredible. It has to be said that the acting of the two daughters is simply brilliant as well. Played by two sisters in real life, there is not a fake or "Hollywood" moment between the two at all in the film. They really outshine the rest of the cast. It was especially nice to view the hardships the family endured through the perspective of the youngest sister, whose innocence contrasts those hardships throughout the movie. To sum up, this is one of those movies that you may never have heard about, but you need to see because of the great acting. There arent any surprising twists or heavy action, instead it is simply a touching story of new immigrants told and acted extremely well. RATING: 4.5 PROS: Brilliant acting, good setting, good soundtrack, unique portrayal of NYC CONS: A tad depressing at times ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298845/
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May 16, 2004 08:41
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 20:46 |
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I really enjoyed this movie. I think where it excels the most is in creating these great, vivid characters of the family and really making you feel connected to them and care about what they're doing. I saw In America the week before I saw Mona Lisa Smile, and it was such a humongous difference between how I was on the edge of my seat with tension and anxiety about In America's characters and how I didn't give a poo poo if the women in Mona Lisa Smile lived or died. I don't think the Djimon Hounsou character is drawn quite as well, but he doesn't really detract from anything. The acting, of course, is great, especially by the two sisters. The older sister's rendition of "Desperado" is one of my favorite film scenes in recent memory. 4.5
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May 16, 2004 16:58
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Awful, melodramatic crap. They live in a horrible slum inhabited by drug dealers, junkies and gangsters, and the movie only plays it up so the kids can make their "wise beyond their age" observations about it. And for a poor immigrant family, they sure don't live too loving badly. Where do they get the money for Catholic school for the kids? The furniture? All that work they put into sprucing up their apartment? I can't see the wife's ice cream job paying that much. Why do they let their kids run around and play in a slum with the poor and most dangerous people in society? Not to mention, the ending was a lazy loving cop-out. Lame-rear end movie that gets way too much praise. Two.
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May 16, 2004 18:24
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I hoped for a little more history behind Mateo, because I kept asking why he was so angry, what disease he had, and how and why the girls just changed him immediately into another father figure, but it wasn't so much that it detracted from the movie, which was deeply personal and touching. It was subtle for the most part, which I appreciate a lot more than movies that try to convince you to cry for the characters through screaming scenes and drama so heavy your knees give out. It was sweet and nostalgic, but not saccharine or maudlin about the death of the son. Throughout the entire movie I was either filled with unexplainable happiness and grinning like a moron (usually due to the girls' innocence) or trying not to breathe because I couldn't tear myself away from the more dramatic scenes, even something as seemingly stupid as a carnival game. Five. Lemuel Fawnsley fucked around with this message at 05:22 on Jul 4, 2004 |
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Jul 4, 2004 05:18
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Overdramatic. 2/5
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Jul 4, 2004 06:24
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Every single person I recommended this movie to came back and said it was one of the best movies they've ever seen. I thought it was by far the best movie I saw in all of 2004 and with confidence it's the best drama I've ever seen. I don't think the hype was even adequate. It should have had a much wider release. Five. Bauman fucked around with this message at 17:02 on Jan 5, 2005 |
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Jan 5, 2005 15:25
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 20:46 |
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It was really a slice-of-life. As such, I'm drawing from memory on what went on. I thought it was fairly obvious that Mateo had AIDS. Though I thought he was a bit too buff for that. Just a struggling family and how poverty can beat you up. Kind of interesting to see some non-minority people in this situation. No one came by with a free meal ticket just because they didn't have pigment in their skin. The girls were indeed infectious, and I usually hate kids in movies. I thought the ending, the wave goodbye anyway, was pretty realistic. And the older girl saying she's been carrying the family. Take a date to see it and you'll appear sensitive. 4.0
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Jan 5, 2005 17:38
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