Crossing Over (2009)Director: Wayne Kramer
Starring : Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Cliff Curtis
Starring : Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Cliff Curtis
Plot: The struggle to achieve resident alien status, or gain full-blown citizenship in the United States, provides some thought-provoking material in this feature from director Wayne Kramer(The Cooler). Crossing Over is an ensemble piece that contains many overlapping story lines, most of which revolve around Max Brogan (Harrison Ford), a law enforcement official who specializes in arresting people who break stringent immigration laws. Joining Ford is Ray Liotta, who plays a corrupt immigration official who forces a wannabe Australian actress (Alice Eve) to sleep with him in exchange for a green card. The film also focuses on the rigorous guidelines laid down in post-9/11 America, with Kramer detailing the shocking maltreatment of a teenage girl who faces deportation after giving a misguided high school presentation on terrorism. These tales, and several others, all combine to present an intricate overview of the desperate and often overwhelmingly sad lengths people will go to so they can remain in the United States. Kramer’s film closely mirrors other harrowing ensemble pieces such as Paul Haggis’s Crash (2004) and Richard Linklater’s Fast Food Nation (2006). Crossing Over carefully presents many different sides of this complicated issue and also examines how coincidence and good fortune can play a part in achieving resident status. Ford is perfectly cast as the downcast lead character who battles with the moral and ethical ramifications of his job, and frequently gets too close to the people he is required to prosecute. Kramer skillfully interweaves each tale and allows just enough screen time to each of his characters, with Cliff Curtis leading the excellent supporting cast by playing an Iranian-American immigration official whose life is irrevocably altered by a series of tragic personal and professional occurrences. (rottentomatoes.com)
Review: Crossing Over tackled a topic that is always at the center of our political arena, yet is commonly overlooked by the general public. With a style much like that of the films Crash and Babyl, Crossing Over told the story of gaining United States citizenship through the eyes of people from many different walks of life. It was odd to me when I ran across this movie at the movie store. I saw a picture of Harrison Ford on the cover and read on to see that Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd were also in this film, yet I could not remember this film being in theaters? For whatever reason a movie with a star studded cast like this only warranted a limited release across the nation and only brought in $402,469 at the box office. Intrigued by the cast and the snippet on the back of the DVD case we rented it.
It was interesting to see the approach that the film took. The style of following a bunch of different story lines and sub-plots was interesting and well done as it was not too difficult to follow. We always think of the issues that we have with the Mexican/American border but often forget that the rules of citizenship apply to people from all over the world. This film approached this idea well taking us along the path of citizenship with a family from Hong Kong, an aspiring actress from Australia, a hopeful musician from Great Britain, a family from the Middle East and a young mother from Mexico. All had their own unique struggles with obtaining citizenship and it was interesting to see how they adapted into the American culture during their time in the country.
As interesting as it was as a whole this movie rubbed me the wrong way. First, there was some pretty graphic nudity and sexual situations that probably were not necessary to get the point across. It was also kind of a dull story. It kept you interested but didn't really every reach a point where you could enjoy it. The biggest gripe that I have with this movie is the way that it leaves you feeling as it ends. The last half hour of the movie is pretty intense as each of the story lines are drawn to a close fairly abruptly. It leaves you with a sick feeling in your stomach. It leaves you angry with the United States government and the regulations that they hold for becoming a U.S. citizen. And at the same time it leaves you with an understanding as to why these rules need to be in place. I'm not really sure what sort of stance that the director and writers were trying to take with this movie. I truly was not sure how I felt when the movie ended.
While this movie was very well put together and the filming techniques were very appealing, I was not a fan of the multiple story lines and questionable stance that it took. I think that IF you are interested in watching this movie you should stick to the $1 Redbox rental. I rated this film 2.5 stars out of a possible 5 stars.
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