7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Determined to give his estranged teenage son a better future, Carlos Riquelme, an illegal immigrant, buys a used truck and gardening equipment to start a business. However, when the truck is stolen, he and his son work together to recover it, reconnecting for the first time in years.
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío, Nancy LenehanDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
What your buyin’ is the American dream.
Call it luck, call it fate, but whatever it is that's the end result of the roll of a dice and a dream is different for every man, every situation, every time.
A Better Life is the steady, absorbing tale of an illegal immigrant who works hard and wants to make a better life for himself and his son but
who runs into trouble through no real fault of his own. It's the story of a dream, a foundation, a simple want for something better, of hard work and
determination, of understanding and emotion, of a burgeoning relationship between father and son that might be more important than money in the
pocket, tools in the truck, and jobs lined up. It's a movie that demonstrates that dreams don't always come true, that real life is something far
removed from the fantasies of Hollywood and seconds-long clips on the evening news. There's a complexity to living and a truth behind the old saying
that says something about "one day at a time." Life is a series of events and turns of fate. It's not always what people make of it, it's not always fair,
it's not always easy, and for some, even, it's not always hard, but if life is anything, for certain, it's that it is completely uncertain, ready to take
anyone, anywhere, anytime in a drastically different direction that even the best of intentions may not be able to fully counter, that even the most
steady heart and honest soul cannot defeat.
Trabajando.
Summit Entertainment's Blu-ray release of A Better Life is a stunner. This is a wonderfully crisp, clear, clean, and robust image that impresses with every passing moment and under any lighting condition. Colors are fantastic; whether bright green grasses and leaves or the worn earthy tones that comprise most of Carlos' work clothes, the transfer works though a marvelously balanced and natural color palette and yields one of the most impressive assortments of colors available in high definition. Better still, black levels are superb; they're dark and deep but never crush out any details in the frame, with nighttime exterior shots particularly impressive. Fine detail is marvelous all around the frame; urban jungle concrete elements, the rough texture of tree trunks, and fine stitches and frays on clothing are a sight to behold. Few transfers hold up this well in terms of color and detail combination. Aside from a few very minor white speckles and a trace amount of banding, there are no technical flaws to be found. Summit's image is wonderfully filmic and perfectly balanced throughout. The studio might not release many discs, but their new releases are some of the best the format has to offer, this being no exception.
A Better Life arrives on Blu-ray with a balanced and respectable DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is airy and smooth, enjoying perfect spacing and seamless transparency. More potent music, like a couple of Hip Hop tunes, play with strong clarity and a thumping low end. The track yields excellent ambient effects, too. Inside Carlos' home, a police car siren moves from side to side as it drives by, and the drumming of a jackhammer realistically penetrates the silence of his slumber. Chirping birds and background music and the din of chatty students at Luis' school are nicely immersive and satisfying. Otherwise, this is primarily a dialogue-driven picture. The spoken word is clear and remains grounded in the center speaker. It's never lost under or forced to compete with surrounding elements. This is an even, impressive soundtrack from Summit.
A Better Life features three extras, chief amongst them an audio commentary track.
A Better Life is a very well made picture about life and dreams. It's not entertainment as a form of escapism, but rather a movie that strives to paint a very real picture of the world in which it exists. It's a movie in which everything just is, whether it affects the characters positively or negatively. At its core, however, is a movie about character, about trying to do right, daring to dream, even in a world that would rather just say "no." Great acting, steady direction, and a moving story of humanity make A Better Life a movie built on a solid foundation and one that's definitely worth a watch. Summit Entertainment's Blu-ray release of A Better Life delivers strong video and audio to go along with a few supplements. Recommended.
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