Harrison Ford, an aging immigration official responsible for raiding factories to find illegals, is a man of conscience with a heart, doing his his best to mitigate the suffering he unintentionally inflicts on illegals, who, in spite of their status, are working hard to make a life for themselves and, in many instances, their families. It's a tough job, and someone has to do it, and no one does it better than Ford.
Played with his usual fire-beneath-the-surface style, Ford offers a sturdy, steady, performance.
Ray Liotta is brilliant as an immigration official who processes green card apps, and suggests to a young lady (who wants to be an actor) that her app might move through the process in exchange for a few favors.
It's not that he's evil, just sleazy, with a touch of innocence, if not stupidity, and a relentless self-interest - a role Liotta plays well. I don't know if Liotta enjoys those roles, but he does them well. In the end, after she rebuffs his offer to divorce his wife and make a life with her, he relents and lets the young lady (Alice Eve) off the hook and then processes her green card favorably - it seems that that sleaze bag fell in love with her after all.
By the way, Alice Eve is terrific, with a striking resemblance to Nicole Kidman. Her willingness to be humiliated to get a green card is more than self-interest; she's hoping to help her lover, also an illegal, to find a life here in America. It's a complicated role she brings off well.
Liotta's wife, Ashley Judd, a lawyer specializing in immigration cases on behalf of the accused, is completely blind-sided when her husband is arrested for granting a green card in violation of requirements.
The first half was interesting to watch, sort of, but without any serious emotional pull. It's the last half that picked up speed and hooked me - with a message that's complicated, as these multiple stories and tragedies are woven together.
Cliff Curtis, successfully portrays a conflicted immigration officer, himself an immigrant, who's immigrant brother and father execute his sister and her lover for bringing shame on the family. In a remarkable shoot-out scene in a convenience store, he saves the life and future of a young immigrant who, in the end, becomes a citizen.
A bit confusing, all these stories? Similar to "Traffic" and "Crash," but without the smoothness of those two films.
The message: current immigration policy causes a great deal of pain, but lots of folks make it through the system to become naturalized citizens. The story doesn't attempt to offer answers, but through multiple stories of weal and woe, to reveal the human story in every immigration headline.
Worth seeing? Sure, but this one could wait until Netflix.
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