The Immigrant (2014)

The ImmigrantEven though the script isn't as convoluted as the writers think, they wisely installed plenty of extra room for other sub-plots to factor in, which was smart of them to play safe, and that can be the accurate description of the feature in a word; safe. It is rich on technical aspects like cinematography, costume design, make-up design, art design and editing. The script focuses more on its three dimensional pragmatic characters that are unpredictable, dark and brutally honest that helps the feature to draw out the attention of the viewers. James Gray; the writer-director, has done a tremendous work on executing this character driven feature and pushes its boundary on the script by visiting unexpected places that helps on keeping the audience on the edge of the seat. It is no short on performance for obvious reasons, like Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner as a supporting actor. The chemistry among the actors doesn't communicate to the viewers despite of offering a wider range for them to factor in, which is the only downer in here as the emotions comes out a bit shallow. The Immigrant migrates involuntarily and suffers for art where its gripping screenplay is what keeps the feature alive despite of having stellar performance.

Separated from her ill sister and facing deportation, a Polish immigrant is taken in by a burlesque show operator who may or may not have her best intentions at heart in this drama set in 1920s New York. The film holds no bars in depicting the difficulties of immigration as our disillusioned protagonist, played by Marion Cotillard, comes to accept an existence very different to what she once imagined. Cotillard's performance is rather multi-layered: simultaneously vulnerable and ruthless (resorting to stealing what she can), and simultaneously accepting of her fate and focused on achieving more. Joaquin Phoenix is also superb as the burlesque man with a breakdown scene near the end in which he finally drops all pretenses to reveal a beating human heart. Their situation is also complicated by Cotillard encountering Phoenix's estranged cousin, played by Jeremy Renner, and a love triangle develops that never quite clicks since we are unsure until the end whether Phoenix really loves her, and as it is never clear whether Renner really loves her either or just wants to make Phoenix jealous. Certainly, an animosity exists between the two cousins that the film does not explore in as much depth as it perhaps could have. Still, what the film does do well it does very, very well. It is quite rare to find a film with such a graphic insight into the harsh actual reality of the American Dream and Cotillard's character is very much one-of-a-kind. Torn between would-be saviours and false promises, she never once gives up hope, even if her own American Dream is decidedly different by the end.

Don't boil the movie down to one person/performance. Although if you do, you should be able to acknowledge the weight they are pulling here. The pacing might not be your thing, but the way the characters are portrayed is really great. There is a lot of gray areas to be dealt with here. Talk about more than 3 shades of it then ... Which not every movie can claim by the way! Just saying.You have to really dig the pace or you won't like the movie. It's a really hard story to follow, not because it's too fast, but because it's slow and might feel unnerving for some. But real life would be even more dragging than that. I like how the movie works and how they played certain things out. Sacrifices have to be made, to reach ones goal ... but what is the price to pay?

Marion Cotillard puts on an impressive performance as a Polish woman immigrating to the United States in 1921. Upon arriving on Ellis Island, she has one bad experience after another. We see how even today people trying to enter the United States - most of them from Latin America - are more likely to spend time in detention facilities. Worse still, politicians claim that people move to the US to import drugs or steal our jobs.Like I said, it's a good movie. Usually one whom I've seen in glamorous roles, Marion Cotillard pulls off this waif-like role perfectly. Darius Khondji's cinematography gives the viewer the feeling of a truly grim existence. I recommend the movie.