Crossing Over (D+ or 1.5/4 stars)
'Crashing Ove---', sorry, I mean 'Crossing Over', directed by Wayne Kramer, is a multi-character, multi-plot drama about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to become legal in Los Angeles. I started to type Crashing Over because the film's outline is very similar to that of 2005's Oscar-winning Crash. Too bad it isn't half as good. There are 4 main stories to follow here. Some are interconnected, some aren't. Max Brogan (Harrison Ford), an Immigration & Customs Enforcement agent, becomes sympathetic to a woman he arrests (Alice Braga). She's desperate to stay, but must go back to Mexico. And she pleads to him that her son won't be left alone. Problem is ... she disappears. Meanwhile, Max's partner, Hamid (Cliff Curtis), is dealing with immigration issues within his traditional Iranian family. Hamid's father is about to receive citizenship, but his black-sheep of a sister, Zahra (Melody Khazae), is embarrassing the family big time.
The 3rd story involves a struggling Australian actress, Claire (Alice Eve, of Starter for 10). She's determined to stay in the U.S. at any price. And when buying forged documents from Zahra's shady boyfriend doesn't work, she agrees to have sex with an immigration processor named Cole (good 'ole slimeball, Ray Liotta). Cole's wife, Denise (Ashley Judd, ugh), is a defense lawyer representing 15 yr. old Taslima (Summer Bishil), a girl accused of having ties to terrorism after writing a school paper; saying that she 'understands', but does not 'approve' of what the 9/11 terrorists did to the WTC. She faces deportation. And the 4th story involves a young Jewish man (Jim Sturgess, of Across the Universe) who tries to use his unpracticed religion to secure a job in America. All these stories involving border patrol, FBI, document fraud, green card process, naturalization, life, & death sound like they'd be riveting tales. Unfortunately, they are not.
Just how Crash took us into the world of racism in Southern California, this film aims to do the same with immigration. And while Crash had its share of coincidences & contrivances, it also was brilliantly acted, edited, written & executed. This film fails (though, not catastrophically) on all accounts. It fails because it's just not any good. There's nothing intuitive or compelling happening. Kramer, who also wrote the film, advances some political perspectives on the differing peoples, but the 'storytelling' goes by the wayside. I wasn't bored to tears throughout 'Crossing Over', but the acting, the look of the film, & the stories have very little intellectual bite or entertaining flare. And with a heavily-themed movie like this, that's a kiss of death.
Having Harrison Ford's name attached this film will be a draw to some audiences. But while he's not cringe-worthy bad, he's not very convincing as the cop-with-a-heart, either. Cliff Curtis is stellar as Ford's partner. But then, in 'one' of the climaxes, he pauses at a highly implausible moment to give a 3 minute lecture about taking the citizenship oath to a robber as he holds a woman hostage inside a store. After the 1 minute mark, I was thinking ... 'what the Hell is going on here?'; and then it went on for 2 more minutes, haha. Ray Liotta plays ... Ray Liotta. And I think his relationship with Alice Eve's character is unbelievable, literally. Nothing flowed, here. The acting is good one moment, & bad for the next few. The dialogue is awkward. And the plot(s) are both depressing & uninvolving. We all understand that immigration policies need some serious fixing. I just think that this film's intent to get us "thinking" comes from a false place.
The 3rd story involves a struggling Australian actress, Claire (Alice Eve, of Starter for 10). She's determined to stay in the U.S. at any price. And when buying forged documents from Zahra's shady boyfriend doesn't work, she agrees to have sex with an immigration processor named Cole (good 'ole slimeball, Ray Liotta). Cole's wife, Denise (Ashley Judd, ugh), is a defense lawyer representing 15 yr. old Taslima (Summer Bishil), a girl accused of having ties to terrorism after writing a school paper; saying that she 'understands', but does not 'approve' of what the 9/11 terrorists did to the WTC. She faces deportation. And the 4th story involves a young Jewish man (Jim Sturgess, of Across the Universe) who tries to use his unpracticed religion to secure a job in America. All these stories involving border patrol, FBI, document fraud, green card process, naturalization, life, & death sound like they'd be riveting tales. Unfortunately, they are not.
Just how Crash took us into the world of racism in Southern California, this film aims to do the same with immigration. And while Crash had its share of coincidences & contrivances, it also was brilliantly acted, edited, written & executed. This film fails (though, not catastrophically) on all accounts. It fails because it's just not any good. There's nothing intuitive or compelling happening. Kramer, who also wrote the film, advances some political perspectives on the differing peoples, but the 'storytelling' goes by the wayside. I wasn't bored to tears throughout 'Crossing Over', but the acting, the look of the film, & the stories have very little intellectual bite or entertaining flare. And with a heavily-themed movie like this, that's a kiss of death.
Having Harrison Ford's name attached this film will be a draw to some audiences. But while he's not cringe-worthy bad, he's not very convincing as the cop-with-a-heart, either. Cliff Curtis is stellar as Ford's partner. But then, in 'one' of the climaxes, he pauses at a highly implausible moment to give a 3 minute lecture about taking the citizenship oath to a robber as he holds a woman hostage inside a store. After the 1 minute mark, I was thinking ... 'what the Hell is going on here?'; and then it went on for 2 more minutes, haha. Ray Liotta plays ... Ray Liotta. And I think his relationship with Alice Eve's character is unbelievable, literally. Nothing flowed, here. The acting is good one moment, & bad for the next few. The dialogue is awkward. And the plot(s) are both depressing & uninvolving. We all understand that immigration policies need some serious fixing. I just think that this film's intent to get us "thinking" comes from a false place.