Greetings again from the darkness. Charming, touching story of a very lively 9 yr old Mexican boy who goes on an interesting road trip in search of his mother who sneaked across the border four years earlier with the dream of providing a better life for her son.
Kate del Castillo is terrific as Rosario, the boy's mother. Hard working and determined to bring her boy to the U.S., she fights the constant emotional battle of whether they might both be better off together. Wide-eyed Adrian Alonso plays Carlitos, the courageous and equally determined little man. Many will remember Alonso from "The Legend of Zorro". He brings much more depth to this role and displays a certain quality that just forces us to pull for him.
As good as those two performances are, they aren't the film's best. That belongs to Eugenio Derbey as Enrique, the reluctant hero. He is just tremendous as we see Carlitos soften up his crusty exterior and even teach him a few lessons along the way. Just a fun performance to watch.
Director Patricia Riggen kind of skirts the immigration issue with a weak border crossing featuring a brief performance from America Ferrera. This part just never felt real. Still, that doesn't reduce the entertainment value of this charming story ... and neither does the fact that we know very early on how the story will end. As with any road trip, the fun part is in the travel.
Kate del Castillo is terrific as Rosario, the boy's mother. Hard working and determined to bring her boy to the U.S., she fights the constant emotional battle of whether they might both be better off together. Wide-eyed Adrian Alonso plays Carlitos, the courageous and equally determined little man. Many will remember Alonso from "The Legend of Zorro". He brings much more depth to this role and displays a certain quality that just forces us to pull for him.
As good as those two performances are, they aren't the film's best. That belongs to Eugenio Derbey as Enrique, the reluctant hero. He is just tremendous as we see Carlitos soften up his crusty exterior and even teach him a few lessons along the way. Just a fun performance to watch.
Director Patricia Riggen kind of skirts the immigration issue with a weak border crossing featuring a brief performance from America Ferrera. This part just never felt real. Still, that doesn't reduce the entertainment value of this charming story ... and neither does the fact that we know very early on how the story will end. As with any road trip, the fun part is in the travel.