3 Américas

This movie is certainly a coming-of-age movie in which América is troubled because of her rough family life. She has to sort through all that has happened to her, and find her own voice and path in life. 3 Américas is a tough movie to watch because of the level of disrespect that América shows to her grandmother, after moving in with her in Argentina. However, there are more positive aspects of the movie that definitely shine through when we witness when her grandmother has a stroke, América turns her attitude around, and helps to take care of her grandmother and her grandmother's house. It is nice to see that América has positive role models in her life, like Sergio, who points her in the right direction. It is interesting to note that in this movie, there is not much continuity of time, and many scenes get cut off. After one is cut off, the next scene appears to be much later, and the viewer is left not knowing exactly what had happened in between. This leaves them wondering what they missed which I think the director may have done on purpose to make the viewer think, and fill in those left out pieces with their own imaginations.

This is a truly well-made and heartfelt film about a girl growing up in difficult circumstances. There are quite a few films that cover the subject matter, but very few manage to capture it with as much emotion, sincerity and realism as this once does. I can't understand why films like this one are never given the attention they rightfully deserve--films that have something to say and know how to say them, refusing to compromise their integrity or pander to sensationalism--while cinemas are overflowing with dime-a-dozen films that are either remakes or retreads of other movies that were not very good in the first place. In the .22 caliber world of film-making that we currently live in, movies like "3 Americas" are like a .357 magnum.

With many movies out there about immigration to the U.S. from other countries 3 Américas is unique in that it tells the reverse story: a young girl who is forced to leave her home in Boston after the death of her aunt and move in with her grandmother in Buenos Aires, Argentina. América struggles to form her identity as she starts to get to know her grandmother along with the culture and language of Argentina.

There were many times in the movie where I thought that there would be a breakthrough for América, but it never really came. There were so many opportunities for a change in character and personality but it just never happened, which was a bit frustrating. It was hard to relate to the main character, she just seemed so "blah" and not very interesting at all. To give some credit there were one or two scenes that made for a more interesting plot, but they were few and far between.

The points that this movie gets are only earned in the idea behind the plot as provoking and intriguing to both North and South American audiences. Unfortunately, however, all this is lost in a mess of amateur acting and poor writing. América is a sassy teenage doing her best in Boston to leave behind her Argentinian heritage. However, horrible events leave América without a guardian and forced to leave Boston for Argentina to live with her anti-American grandmother. The cultural divide between América and her grandmother is far too obvious; there is little in there relationship that develops or is left up to the imagination of the audience. This lack of creativity is characteristic of every relationship in the movie. América befriends an older man who works on their houses. The relationship becomes somewhat romantic, however it never really resolves and ends awkwardly. This movie fails to provide significant meaning or intrigue with its weak writing and poor acting of a theme that had great potential to achieve both.

América is a young girl of Argentine descent who lives a life of mischief with her aunt and uncle in the United States. Her life drastically changes when her aunt dies and she is sent to live with her grandmother in Argentina, where she has a hard time getting accustomed to the new way of life. The story being told by the director is an interesting one with a lot of potential to impact viewers. However, the movie looses a lot of its value with the lack of good acting, rich dialogue, and an upbeat tempo. The main character becomes sort of exhausting to watch after a while because of the way she acts and how she talks to her friends and family. Moreover, the dialogues between América and her family seemed too simple and raw most times, giving off an uncomfortable feeling for the audience. Lastly, the development of various scenes seemed too slow at times, causing the audience to become bored. The very end however, came about extremely quickly, resolving the plot too abruptly.