In America [2002], directed by Jim Sheridan, is a beautiful and touching movie about an Irish immigrant family’s first year in America. Based on the director’s own experiences as an Irish immigrant, the movie is a poignant tale about this family’s triumphs and hardships.
Irish immigrants Johnny [Paddy Considine] and Sarah [Oscar-nominee Samantha Morton], along with their children, Christy and Ariel [played by real-life sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger], come to America in search of the American dream. It could also be assumed that they move to America to get over the recent death of their son Frankie. They find an apartment in Manhattan’s lowdown district Hell’s Kitchen, famous for it’s drug addicts and junkies. Johnny is a wannabe actor but drives a taxi to make ends meet, auditioning for parts side by side. Sarah works at an ice-cream parlor called Heaven until she can find a job as a teacher. The kids make friends with everyone in the neighborhood, including a Nigerian painter Mateo [Oscar-nominee Djimon Hounsou] who quickly becomes part of their family. The movie then goes on to trace the ups and downs of this family, leaving us with a touching finale that is both happy and tragic.
The movie is in the form of a narrative, Christy being the narrator. Christy walks around with a handicam wherever she goes, capturing events and playing them whenever she feels like seeing them. A lot of the family’s happier moments, mostly “pre-Frankie’s-death” moments, are shown through the handicam.
What I liked most about this movie is that the situations seem very genuine. You’d easily be able to relate to the family’s moments of happiness and miseries. Whether it’s Johnny’s and Sarah’s feeling of guilt about their son’s death or Johnny’s efforts to avoid being looked down by his daughters, all scenes touch a chord.
In America is a sentimental movie… but subtly sentimental. The movie does not make you cry your lungs out but touches you in a very gentle way. The movie is serious to an extent, but thanks to the innocent humor provided by the two girls, the movie flows on smoothly.
The actors have turned in brilliant performances. Paddy Considine, Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou play their parts very well. The kids give very natural performances. Sarah Bolger, who plays Christy, carries off her role with much maturity. The very adorable Emma Bolger plays Ariel and is an absolute delight to watch.
The only thing that wasn’t up to the mark was the dialogues. The dialogues sometimes do not suit the situations. A perfectly executed scene can turn into a disaster if the dialogues aren’t right. In America falters thus in a couple of scenes.
In short, In America is a tale well told, a from-the-heart effort by the director. It does have it’s faults, but the overall content of the movie make these faults look miniscule in comparison. Do watch the movie!