•
Rating:
Released somewhat quietly in theaters last summer, CROSSING OVER is a film by Wayne Kramer that, despite relying on an independent production, features big names like Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Cliff Curtis, and the lesser-known Alice Braga, Summer Bishil (among others) in the forefront.
We are in the USA, current times. Various stories of immigrants, regular or aspiring, intertwine more and more densely as the minutes pass. The plot—certainly nothing groundbreaking— flows well and the viewer finds themselves genuinely engaged in the daily problems faced by all those who come from a less prosperous world and attempt to integrate, hopefully, into the social fabric of what is still considered in the collective imagination as the "promised land". There are also those who try to circumvent the bureaucracy's obstacles and those who, having the responsibility for monitoring, abuse their powers for the most vile ends.
The film is filled with the most "common" clichés that highlight issues every civilized country faces on a daily basis. The good news, which matches the motivation for taking the trouble to write a few lines of commentary, is that these issues are addressed in a sober and, most importantly, very intelligent way. I underline, in this regard, some directorial choices that denote "media acumen":
The immigration office official who plays the villain is portrayed by an attractive woman who never says a word out of place and who, when she can, lets common sense prevail. The bureaucrat who abuses his powers by exploiting those hoping for a green card, towards the end becomes fragile and human. The semi-fundamentalist who utters aberrant (and very dangerous) phrases is portrayed by an adorable and truly talented actress (S. Bishil), extraordinary in highlighting that human and emotional side that slightly softens the drama of the issues addressed.
An intense film, at times very raw, but above all "REAL" (and if I say it, I say it for good reason). The Americanness comes through, sometimes even too much, both for the sugary goodness of the ending and for the fact that the stars and stripes people come out almost sanctified. But the intensity of the plot and the precision with which certain issues are addressed make the film a documentary on modern times, especially for those who, luckily for them, have never faced the problem of immigration up close.
In closing, I highlight the lackluster performance of the star of the moment, an unusually expressionless Harrison Ford, who plays a character that, perhaps also due to objective screenplay issues, ends up being neither fish nor fowl and poorly fits into the intriguing plot.
Loading comments slowly
