Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna) is a cute independent movie that premiered during Sundance 2007. The film tells an immigration story from two points of view: Mother and Child. It is an effort to introduce the public to the idea of Mexican-U.S. immigration and what it feels like to navigate this difficult lifestyle.

There have been immigration stories set in Los Angeles before. Spanglish showed this through a mother-daughter relationship. Born in East LA reversed the migration and showed us humor in the meantime. But, really for the first time, we’re seeing a story where the journey of a young boy to his mother is the focal point.

The star is a talented young actor, Adrian Alonso as Carlitos, who turns nine during the movie. Carlitos is a responsible young man, taking care of his sickly grandmother while his mom works in the U.S.A. More than anything he wants to be with his Mom. So what does he do? He learns the ropes of border crossing at his side job with Dona Carmen (Carmen Salinas) or the town’s Coyote (a person who smuggles across the border for a fee). Carlitos knows the business and is ready to go North, basically, at a moments notice. When his grandmother dies he heads to the U.S.A. to find his mom.

Simultaneously, his mom, played by Kate del Castillo, isn’t having such a great life north of the border. She lives in a cramped apartment with her best friend (Actress Maya Zapata), has to travel on several bus lines to get to work, and then she has to clean house for a terrifying boss who her friend and she affectionately call “Cruella.” All the while, she misses her son terribly.

So, for the remainder of the movie, we watch two different stories unfold. One, is an adventure tale, as Carlitos tries to make his way to Los Angeles. The second is a more romantic story, as Carlitos’s mother decides if she should return to Mexico or date (and maybe marry to gain citizenship papers) the security guard Paco (played by Gabriel Porras).

So now you are wondering about that guy who pops up in the previews. The one who travels with the boy as the voice over goes “never since Cinema Paradiso has there been a movie this…” His name: Eugenio Derbez (his official site). His purpose in the movie: man without hope learns to live again. He has been in American movies before. There was National Lampoon’s Pledge This! and on stage in Rick Najera’s Latinlogues. This movie introduced me to him and he is an amazing actor. He was funny and pathetic as he tried to compete with Carlitos. If only he was on screen for a little longer. His next role will be in Beverly Hills Chihuahua as a “store owner.” I look forward to posting reviews of his earlier works in Mexico and, hopefully, his future roles in the United States.

This movie is trying to tell a story about a world most people have never seen, lived or, more importantly, understand. Sure, people listen to Piolin and work in picking tomatoes, but what do they have in common with me? Well, short of living an immigrant’s life, this story is doing its best to show us. Yes, the best this movie does is to show these stories in short vignettes–with little development. More depth and development in a lot of the vignettes (the brother & sister story or the story of Carlitos’s father) would have been better. But, the main story in the movie is one of hope and love, two universal themes. The story does try to tear down those hard walls between “Us & Them.” But, I think it’s a good appetizer for other Latino themes in American cinema. I hope soon we can see more Latinos in exciting and challenging roles in mainstream movies.

Selected Theaters, Mostly Spanish with English Subtitles, Directed by Patricia Riggen, Screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos

Filed under: Movies — Pilar @ 5:58 pm