Amexicano review

From The New York Times:

Relationships Beyond Borders By LAURA KERN

Realistic performances and genuine emotions make Matthew Bonifacio’s quiet charmer “Amexicano” much more than just another preachy treatise on illegal immigration.

Carmine Famiglietti, who also wrote the script, carries the film as Bruno, a lonely Italian-American slouch living in a dreary basement apartment in Queens. When his landlord throws some construction work his way to help him pay the back rent, Bruno turns to the Mexican laborers who wait on a street corner each day.

He’s soon building a fence with Ignacio (Raúl Castillo), a man he had no problem calling a “fence-jumper” hours before. Despite Ignacio’s limited grasp of English, he and his wife, Gabriela (Jennifer Peña), welcome Bruno into their lives. Bruno looks forward to going to work and even faces some of his prejudices. Previously a believer that English should be the only accepted language in the country, he begins studying Spanish alone at night.

Yet there are persistent dark undercurrents, stemming mostly from Diego (Manny Perez), a bully with a serious chip on his shoulder. The characters in this fairy-tale-in-the-making probably can’t live happily ever after, no matter how badly we want them to.

“Amexicano” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned) for some harsh language and violence.

AMEXICANO Opens on Friday in Manhattan.