Abel

I must confess that during the first few minutes of "Abel," I became confused. In fact, I almost gave up watching it via Netflix Instant.

But I'm so pleased I didn't.

Truth be told, what prompted me to log on to "Abel" was that it was directed by Diego Luna, an actor whose work I deeply admired when I first met him in his brilliant and sensitive performance in "Y Tu, Mama, Tambien." But I'm happy that I hung on, because I discovered Luna's gentle sensitivity to the struggles of Mexico's lower-middle-class in this, his first film as a director.

Which made me remember my own childhood when I also was a poor kid growing up in western Pennsylvania.

Sr. Luna clearly has a great future as a director.

Because the "truths" his work reveals are "universal."