"The Immigrant" Fails to find a Home
"The Immigrant" is film about an immigrant who leaves Poland to escape the Great War. Along the way, the immigrant faces some of the tragedies we have seen in films about immigrants before: loss in their home country and poverty, usury, abuse, and corruption in their new home. The film fails to cover new territory, nor does it present the challenges of immigration in a way that is worth watching. It would have been more entertaining to watch a documentary about immigration of the era.
The immigrant, Ewa Cybulska played by Marion Cotillard, goes through a traumatic journey to get to Ellis Island, or so she tell us. However, we don't see it on film. The benefit of film is you can visually enact the traumas and emotions with flash backs or shadowy memories. Other than lovely Ewa's face and Cotillard's lack of depth as an actress, all we can go on are her words, "I have suffered." Perhaps a more adept actress could have pulled off the portrayal of trauma or perhaps if they had spent a few thousand dollars on a flashback, we may have been able to feel it ourselves. The film fails to get us to fully empathize with Ewa despite their efforts.
Other than the pretty and shallow acting of Cotillard, the film features Joaquin Phoenix as Bruno Weiss. Mr. Phoenix seems more concerned about winning his first Oscar by playing a morally questionable character than actually embodying the role of a man who preys on immigrants. Jeremy Renner plays a magician and suitor to Ewa, Emil. He is more charming and adept, but has little to work with in terms of plot and dialogue.
And that brings us the major problem with this and many other films. Both men are in love with Ewa, but we don't know why. Other than being pretty and speaking English, there is nothing to recommend her. She is not talented, smart, endearing, personable, nothing. A film that hinges on romantic attraction better make it clear why people are so taken with the object of their desire. I know that for many film-goers a character's attractiveness is enough. But attractiveness is not enough for a partner in real life, so why should it be so in film? Somebody so obviously under the affects of PTSD, Ewa, would be a real turn off to most people.
Rating: Rent it. The film is not a disaster, and it is certainly better than much of the superhero films, teen dramas or drunken adult films available in theaters currently, but it is not a great movie. "The Immigrant" is a mediocre film that at least attempts to make a statement about good, evil, holiness, sainthood, and sinning.
Peace, Tex Shelters
"The Immigrant" is film about an immigrant who leaves Poland to escape the Great War. Along the way, the immigrant faces some of the tragedies we have seen in films about immigrants before: loss in their home country and poverty, usury, abuse, and corruption in their new home. The film fails to cover new territory, nor does it present the challenges of immigration in a way that is worth watching. It would have been more entertaining to watch a documentary about immigration of the era.
The immigrant, Ewa Cybulska played by Marion Cotillard, goes through a traumatic journey to get to Ellis Island, or so she tell us. However, we don't see it on film. The benefit of film is you can visually enact the traumas and emotions with flash backs or shadowy memories. Other than lovely Ewa's face and Cotillard's lack of depth as an actress, all we can go on are her words, "I have suffered." Perhaps a more adept actress could have pulled off the portrayal of trauma or perhaps if they had spent a few thousand dollars on a flashback, we may have been able to feel it ourselves. The film fails to get us to fully empathize with Ewa despite their efforts.
Other than the pretty and shallow acting of Cotillard, the film features Joaquin Phoenix as Bruno Weiss. Mr. Phoenix seems more concerned about winning his first Oscar by playing a morally questionable character than actually embodying the role of a man who preys on immigrants. Jeremy Renner plays a magician and suitor to Ewa, Emil. He is more charming and adept, but has little to work with in terms of plot and dialogue.
And that brings us the major problem with this and many other films. Both men are in love with Ewa, but we don't know why. Other than being pretty and speaking English, there is nothing to recommend her. She is not talented, smart, endearing, personable, nothing. A film that hinges on romantic attraction better make it clear why people are so taken with the object of their desire. I know that for many film-goers a character's attractiveness is enough. But attractiveness is not enough for a partner in real life, so why should it be so in film? Somebody so obviously under the affects of PTSD, Ewa, would be a real turn off to most people.
Rating: Rent it. The film is not a disaster, and it is certainly better than much of the superhero films, teen dramas or drunken adult films available in theaters currently, but it is not a great movie. "The Immigrant" is a mediocre film that at least attempts to make a statement about good, evil, holiness, sainthood, and sinning.
Peace, Tex Shelters