Saturday, April 11, 2009

CROSSING OVER




Crime drama

F.Y.I.
The Department of Homeland Security was created in March 2003 and charged with the responsibility of protecting the United States within, at, and outside its borders. It absorbed the now-defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and assumed its duties. In doing so, it divided the enforcement and services functions into two separate agencies: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additionally, the border enforcement functions of the INS were consolidated into a new agency, the Customs and Border Protection.

The EB-1 form is an immigrant visa which allows foreign nationals with 'extraordinary ability' in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics to obtain permanent residency in the U.S.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Harrison Ford: Max Brogan, an agent with ICE
Cliff Curtis: his Iranian-American partner Hamid Baraheri
Alice Braga: an illegal Mexican Mireya Sanchez
Melody Khazae: Hamid’s sister Zahra, an employee in a copy shop
Alice Eve: Claire Shepard, a would-be actress
Jim Sturgess: Gavin Kossef, a would-be musician
Ray Liotta: Cole Frankel, an Applications Adjudicator with ICE
Ashley Judd: his wife Denise, an immigration lawyer
Summer Bishil: 15-year-old Taslima Jahangir
Jacqueline Obradors: another ICE agent
Justin Chon: a Korean teenage immigrant Yong Kim

REVIEW
The list of characters gives some hint to the complexity of the story about the impact US immigration and naturalization policy has on people. The point could have been better made with fewer plot lines perhaps but this grab-bag approach does cover quite a cross section of personal woes.

Although most of it rings true (well as true as movies ring) there are several instances that make mockery of reality (you’ll know them when you see them) that serve no purpose other than dramatic overkill. And some of the acting is a little over the top.

All this means to say it’s not a lousy movie, just a bit too much to handle easily in one sitting.

CLASSIFICATION
for pervasive language, some strong violence and sexuality/nudity.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
The raid on a garment factory begins at night and takes only 20 or 30 minutes but they all exit out of the building into bright sunshine.

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