Under the Same Moon (La misma luna) (PG-13) ★★★½

While the political issue of illegal immigration is ever-present, Under the Same Moon succeeds ultimately as a beautifully rendered, unforgettable story of the invincible bond between a mother and son.

Story

The heartbreak of illegal immigration is vividly displayed in this poignant story of nine year old Carlos (Adrian Alonso), a boy living in Mexico with his grandmother while his mother (Kate del Castillo), works as an illegal domestic in Los Angeles trying to make enough money to send home so the son she has been separated from can live a good life--even if it means being without her. When the grandmother suddenly dies, Carlos decides to cross the border and look for mom. As his journey continues, he encounters a woman (America Ferrera) and her brother (Jesse Garcia) who make tuition money taking babies into the U.S. In this instance, she decides to help smuggle Carlos across by hiding him in her van. Once he lands in Tuscon, he meets a sympathetic middle- aged migrant worker named Enrique (Eugenio Derbez), who accompanies him to East L.A. Once there, they try to locate his mother--their only clue being a vague description of the area around a pay phone she used in her weekly calls home to Carlos.

Acting

The film, which is shot mostly in Spanish with some English language scenes as well, offers great big screen opportunities to some of Mexico's biggest television stars, including telenovela favorite Kate del Castillo. She delivers a moving performance as a mother living separated by borders with her only son but living "under the same moon." The film really belongs, however, to young Alonso--a natural in front of the cameras who impressed American audiences as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas' son in The Legend of Zorro but breaks out here as the determined Carlos. Both create a touching mother-son relationship even though they are never in any scenes together. Also playing against type is superstar Derbez, unquestionably one of Latin America's most popular actors who develops a winning chemistry with Alonso making every moment of their screen time count. Ugly Betty's Ferrera also turns up for some effective moments, including a heart-stopping sequence in which she is questioned by border guards, while the van carrying the hidden Carlos is searched.

Direction

Although she has made some award winning shorts, Under the Same Moon represents the first feature length film for Mexican-born Patricia Riggen. She succeeds on all levels emphasizing the characters in the story over the potentially political hot button topic of immigration which her film so eloquently humanizes. Working with screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos, the two women give urgency to the tragic separation of mother and son caught between two disparate cultures. Given the time restraints and low budget, Riggen's command of the camera is impressive, particularly in the inventive and almost spiritual ways she manages to bring mother and son together on screen even though they never share a shot. Use of music is also hugely effective with Carlos Silotto's melodic score recalling a similar film about a young dreamer, Cinema Paradiso. Ultimately, though, Under the Same Moon lives or dies with the actors, and Riggen' spot-on casting decisions--particularly in the case of Alonso--really lift it to new levels. Most of the actors have extensive TV followings and Riggen knew by casting them she would risk the wrath of Mexican film critics who uniformly look down on television. Doesn't matter. Under the Same Moon has universal appeal and should find approving audiences around the world.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.