In America
After the death of their son Frankie, parents Johnny (Paddy Considine) and Sarah (Samantha Morton) along with their kids Christy and Ariel (Sarah and Emma Bolger) move from Ireland to New York City. It’s tough-going for the Irish family as they move into a place filled with drug addicts and the parents struggle to find work; Johnny an aspiring actor and Sarah, a teacher turned waitress. It takes time to assimilate the American culture, but step-by-step, they do. Halloween arrives and in the search for tricks and treats, Christy and Ariel encounter Mateo (Djimon Honsou), described thus far as simply the man who screams. Instead, they find a very nice man and along with Sarah, welcome him with open arms. Complications arrive though as Sarah becomes pregnant and Mateo falls ill to a disease that has everyone in the family mature and consider themselves truly Americans.

This is one of the most delightful and moving pictures you’ll see all year. Even while it has the makes of a true and emotional immigrant experience, events occur in the film that seems to border on fairytale and fantasy. Bad things eventually turn out to be good. Risks taken eventually have rewards in the end. This is especially true for the children, who are allowed to introduce themselves wherever they go, wander the rundown apartment building alone, and walk across the street to the ice cream parlor while the parents have some alone time. If I were the head of a newly immigrated family, I wouldn’t let my children out of my sight until I knew it was safe, which it obviously wasn’t in this case. That being said, the innocence of youth is something that truly isn’t to be denied and I was in awe to see things in their point of view, whether through their eyes or through Christy’s camcorder.

As the head of the family, Considine is great at mastering the delicate balance of being happy with his family while trying to hide the frustration he obviously has with trying to get a part in a Broadway play and dealing with the loss of his son Frankie. Morton, who works wonders with whatever film she acts in, shows off in this as well with her short hair and long looks. And it’s really nice to see Honsou play something different than a stereotypical African man. It’s refreshing to see aspects of this character combine with the emotion he lets out in the middle of the film to create someone entirely new. Finally, there are the children, who for the most part are just adorable and understand their environment years ahead of when they should. At first, they want to be just like everyone else, but by the end, Ariel recognizes things are gravely different and doesn’t like it and Christy tells her father to not “little girl” her. Individuals coming from different places make for an interesting and fulfilling experience, whether from the different ages of the Sullivan family or the different countries people come from only to meet in Manhattan. 3.5 stars