Amexicano

Yes, this movie is at least a 10!!! Finally a movie that treats it audience with respect - - it takes us through a wonderful and meaningful story with humor and drama but with none of the usual clichés or preachy or trite storytelling that we are served over and over again. I am not alone in my assessment of this wonderful film. I spent a Saturday morning at the Tribeca Film Festival with a sold out crowd who expressed the same feelings as mine with a lengthy and roaring applause of approval as the credits ran.

"Amexicano" makes its point on the issue of immigration and "the undocumented" without polarizing its audience with politics, race and class. This is a story about human beings, complex human beings - - legal and illegal. The authentic and endearing performances from Carmine Famiglietti, Raul Castillo, Jennifer Pena and all the supporting players are the cornerstone of this great independent film.

It's refreshing to see a filmmaker pack a film with honesty and integrity without fearing we can't handle it - - much like the movies Hollywood produced during the Golden Age of the 1970's. These days it seems to me that Hollywood feels that movies devoid of substance, truth, moral conflict and that lack humanity is what people want.

Stanley Kubrick once said: "Don't give the audience what they want, give them what they don't know they want yet". Matthew Bonifacio's "Amexicano" truly gives its audience "what they don't know they want yet".

Matthew Bonifacio's Amexicano tells the wholesome little parable of a purebread, blue-collar, Italian-American from Queens who reluctantly takes a construction position and ends up working alongside an illegal immigrant with a strong work ethic and a determination for a better life. The film is the classic, culturally-relativistic picture that hopes that by creating a character who is rather ignorant to a way of life and forcefully meeting someone who is they, in return, will become more aware and informed about the lives of others.

Written by its lead actor Carmine Famiglietti, the story concerns his character Bruno, who is offered the job by his landlord but is also informed that he will need to head down to the famous "corner" location in Texas where numerous illegal immigrants hang out in hopes that a kind soul will drive by and offer them work for money. Initially, Bruno drives down there and picks up Cesar (Hugo Aleman), a disgruntled and demanding man whose only benefit is that he speaks clear English. After a failed day at work, Bruno then finds Ignacio (Raúl Castillo), a quiet young Mexican man who gets to work immediately after being handed the equipment to do so, despite not being able to speak very clear English. The first job assigned to the men is building a fence, which, take as you will in the metaphorical department. A scene exists while the two are building that shows Bruno working on one side of the fence, while Ignacio is working on another, with the camera located about two-to-three feet above their heads as they work together for the same goal at the end.

Bruno admires Ignacio's incredible work ethic and his drive to be an effective laborer with a good heart. Along the way, Ignacio learns some English with the help of Bruno and his sister Gabriela (Jennifer Peña), and Bruno even picks up some Spanish with the help of a translator. The two become diligent workers together and, in return, learn a little bit about each others culture.

To make Bruno out to be a flaming-Republican, anti-immigration character that would suddenly turn soft-hearted when faced with an illegal immigrant that was actually a hardworking, dependable individual would simply be too far-fetched and asinine to believe. Instead, Famiglietti makes his character to be ignorant and apprehensive but not violently-opposed to the immigrant-lifestyle. Bruno is your practical, working class man with a plan to work hard, earn money, but not always involve himself in the big issues and sometimes have an understandably misguided view of a different lifestyle. For example, he likely views gay people as "weird" but not detrimental or harmful to society.

Famiglietti also does fine work as acting within the boundaries of commonality and normalcy and relating himself to a typical male worker of his era. His chemistry with Castillo doesn't feel forced at all thanks to the relatability of both actors and the equal amount of likability one can put forth to each character. Their chemistry is what largely sustains the film, and because of their character-types, connecting with them is not difficult.

Amexicano, thankfully, is not another preachy cry for immigration reform. It is, however, a nicely human drama that takes a look at differing lifestyles between two characters, one not really knowing or understanding how the other lives and conducts his life, and throws them together by pure circumstance and gives them an opportunity to see how each other is different. Many will see the immigration theme as the top theme in this picture, along with cultural assimilation, but there is also a beautiful angle that explores changing an identity or ones characteristics upon entering a new country, which is a delightfully different one to explore and in a very strong, easily-identifiable format.

Starring: Carmine Famiglietti, Raúl Castillo, Jennifer Peña, and Hugo Aleman. Directed by: Matthew Bonifacio.

The premise of the film is fantastic, and one I enthusiastically support. A subject that should effortlessly lend itself to a poignant narrative; this attempt sadly falls quite short of its potential. Overall rather mediocre in emotional impact, sort of the Zoloft of intense emotional movies. Much of the acting is very mechanical and cue driven, Varsity at best. Character development and definition is predictable and generically structured. Don't expect a gripping drama but rather 20 minutes of promising fireside fable intensity drawn out and diluted into 84 minutes. It could have been so much more. All that being said, there is something that I did like about it that will allow me to give it 5/10 stars.

I was lucky enough to see this at its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. I felt like I was privvy to one of those things that's going to become huge, BEFORE it becomes huge -- kind of like the first people who saw something like "Little Miss Sunshine" and probably thought, "wow... what a special movie. I hope it gets picked up so people get the opportunity to see it." It felt like I was watching movie stars in the making, because the performances were so rock- solid and honest. Raul Castillo and Jennifer Pena were truly captivating, the direction was perfect, and the music was fantastic. I don't recall the last time I saw a movie where the audience was so glued to the screen, because they had fallen in love with the characters and their struggle. If you get the chance to see it, you should.

Italian Neo-Realism coming out of Queens! Excellent film. See it.

A classic case of: No Production Budget = Excellent Film.

It is a pretty basic story line about and friendship and loyalty. The acting was great and the minimalist approach worked well in this case.

A desperate-for-work, forth-generation, Italian American, living in Queens, befriends a Mexican day laborer(jornalero).

The film portrays the difficulties of everyday life for illegal workers in this country. I wish this film had more exposure and wider distribution. It seems like it was filmed on a cheap digital cam-corder, but this does not detract from the film, and might actually add something to its gritty realism. It basically could have been shot on home video.