A BETTER LIFE (2011) (***1/2)

Chris Weitz takes the general premise of Vittorio de Sica's THE BICYCLE THIEF and transports the action of the neo-realist classic from 1940s Italy to 2010s Los Angeles. Like THIEF, a father and son search their city for the man who stole a possession crucial for their job. In the new take on the story, Weitz looks at the experience of illegal immigrants.

Carlos Galindo (Damian Bichir, CHE) snuck into the U.S. years ago with his young wife, because that is what people did in his small village in Mexico. Since she has left him to care for his son Luis (Jose Julian), who is now 15 years old. Carlos works as a gardner for Blasco (Joaquin Cosio, QUANTUM OF SOLACE), who owns a truck and the equipment. Blasco has saved enough to buy a farm in Mexico and wants to sell his entire business to Carlos, who is reluctant because as an illegal simply getting pulled over for a broken tail light would get him deported. But the gang filled neighborhood he lives in doesn't promise the future he wants for his son, so he borrows money from his reluctant sister. Now the boss he needs to pick a new employee, so he goes to the corner where day workers wait and choses Santiago (Carlos Linares, QUINCEANERA), who waits for Carlos to shimy up a palm tree and then steals the truck.

While the film leads us to a conclusion that is expected, the journey is fascinating because of the places that it takes us. Carlos works for Angelinos who have more money than he could ever imagine. Luis tries to navigate the gang world. When his dad doesn't have money to give him, he tells him he'll just jack an old lady in the street. He's acting tough, but he knows that the gangs are a dead end. We visit restaurants whose back staff is powered by illegal immigrants and a rodeo that seems a garish joke to Luis, but Carlos tells him that it's their culture. When they come to an apartment in South Central, they find that things could be worse.

Bichir gives a subtle portrayal of a man who wants his son to have a chance at the American Dream. He tries to keep his head down, do his job and remain unnoticed. He is a soft-spoken man who puts fairness above anything. He seems to be overcompensting for his illegal status. At one time he even tried to get his green card, but a shady lawyer just stole his money. His son is angry. Looking at all the wealth in America, he sees his dad as a loser. His coldness hides the conflict he feels. He's trying to do his best to survive in life just as his father does.

Weitz (ABOUT A BOY), working from a script by Eric Eason based on a story by Roger L. Simon, creates real drama. We feel the weight of everything Carlos has put on the line in buying the truck. It's a big risk for a man who hates risk. He borrows money he doesn't have, so he puts his whole family's future on the line. When the truck is stolen, Carlos could end up back on the corner. In searching for Santiago, he could easily find violent trouble at the end.

In its personal tale of immigrants, the film also reminds me of last year's ENTRE NOS, which dealt with a struggles of an immigrant. What both films have in common is that they personalize this hot button issue. It argues the question whether it is immoral to steal a loaf of bread to feed your starving family. In that it doesn't present easy answers to that question shows the depth of this film.