Crossing Over

What "Crash" did for racial issues this movie does for immigration issues - almost. Crossing Over follows a similar format with A-List stars, compelling familiar scenarios, and short scenes to hold our attention.

The difference? The point of Crash was that everyone is both guilty of, AND a victim of, racism. That is not the case with immigration issues. So to that extent, the movie comes up a little short if held to the same standard as Crash. Otherwise, it is a very good collection of stories, very well told.

Harrison Ford plays a senior ICE agent who struggles with doing whats right and doing whats expected. Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd play a married couple both involved in immigration issues but from different sides of the law. Jim Sturgess and Alice Eve play a couple who are in the country illegally and will do anything to stay. Cliff Curtis plays Ford's partner at ICE and a member of a family who struggles with cultural heritage and the realities of American life. All the paths eventually cross.

I'm curious what Sean Penn's original part was on this. Any ideas?

Watch this movie with someone who was not born here.

What Goes Up

Perfectly awkward. Can one call a movie that? This is a perfect follow-up to Hamlet 2 for Steve Coogan. They are practically the same character. Interesting choices Mr. Coogan.

One of the points of this story is that teen angst may never go away. Some adults never grow out of it. The backdrop of this story is the Challenger shuttle disaster, but it really has nothing to do with the story. And hopefully has nothing to do with the real events at the time.

This movie gets more interesting as it goes along. As each character evolves they become more complex. I found myself actually wanting to find out how the story ends. About half way through the story I actually started caring about the characters. If you can be patient, you may find the same thing being true for you.

Coogan is actually very good here. The supporting cast of kids is also enjoyable. Especially Olivia Thirlby. Where did she come from? Hillary Duff plays one of the kids in the story and does a very credible job.

While this is not a great movie, it is a good one. It makes you think. Who knows what the writer/director was thinking.

Watch this movie with someone who loves abstract thinking.