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The story is about a visit to El Salvador that goes awry and the children are separated from their mother. They turn to El Gringo Schindler for help after watching TV and visit his office. He promises them that their mother will be rejoined with them. El Gringo Schindler's immigration knowledge and personal safety are put to test getting the family together and the mission is filled with frustrations, broken communication and uncreative airport staff.
I like that this film addresses a real issue that is pertinent to many immigrants. It takes place in El Salvador, where the language is Spanish. The protagonist is determined to get through and he sleeps at the airport and asks the staff again to allow the children's mother to get through. The action is very realistic, such as when the children's grandmother gets a heart attack and falls on the ground, which is kind of tragic.
The camera scenes that impressed me the most are the medium close-ups and long shots. For example, when El Gringo Schindler, gets increasingly frustrated with the efforts of the agencies he contacts and the airport staff, we see his face filled with sadness. The long shots are used to display a new scene and new location. The sets are well created - the office, airport, grandma's home, a hotel and hospital. The office portrays a typical office filled with papers. The airport is a typical airport setting. Grandma's house portrays a typical house in El Salvador. The hotel is also a typical low price hotel room in El Salvador. It stays real, not overly clean or futuristic. That is also true with the office. The locations are Dallas, Texas and EL Salvador. The airport scene only shows the line instead of the entire location. The actors give admirable performances. My favorite part is near the end, after countless attempts to make the mother board the plane, the guard decides to bring the two children to the plane. It shows that even something or someone extremely unlikely can help and also displays the idea that if you keep trying, you will eventually succeed.
The message of the film is to not give up hope, even when the goal looks impossible. You should be aware that it does contain some profanity and has some gun violence.
I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18 to adults. The subject may be disturbing to some people so be thoughtful about whether or not it suits your audience. Reviewed by Tom W., KIDS FIRST!
The story is about a visit to El Salvador that goes awry and the children are separated from their mother. They turn to El Gringo Schindler for help after watching TV and visit his office. He promises them that their mother will be rejoined with them. El Gringo Schindler's immigration knowledge and personal safety are put to test getting the family together and the mission is filled with frustrations, broken communication and uncreative airport staff.
I like that this film addresses a real issue that is pertinent to many immigrants. It takes place in El Salvador, where the language is Spanish. The protagonist is determined to get through and he sleeps at the airport and asks the staff again to allow the children's mother to get through. The action is very realistic, such as when the children's grandmother gets a heart attack and falls on the ground, which is kind of tragic.
The camera scenes that impressed me the most are the medium close-ups and long shots. For example, when El Gringo Schindler, gets increasingly frustrated with the efforts of the agencies he contacts and the airport staff, we see his face filled with sadness. The long shots are used to display a new scene and new location. The sets are well created - the office, airport, grandma's home, a hotel and hospital. The office portrays a typical office filled with papers. The airport is a typical airport setting. Grandma's house portrays a typical house in El Salvador. The hotel is also a typical low price hotel room in El Salvador. It stays real, not overly clean or futuristic. That is also true with the office. The locations are Dallas, Texas and EL Salvador. The airport scene only shows the line instead of the entire location. The actors give admirable performances. My favorite part is near the end, after countless attempts to make the mother board the plane, the guard decides to bring the two children to the plane. It shows that even something or someone extremely unlikely can help and also displays the idea that if you keep trying, you will eventually succeed.
The message of the film is to not give up hope, even when the goal looks impossible. You should be aware that it does contain some profanity and has some gun violence.
I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18 to adults. The subject may be disturbing to some people so be thoughtful about whether or not it suits your audience. Reviewed by Tom W., KIDS FIRST!
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