STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
The first thing that caught my eye about Crossing Over is the name of the director and writer, Wayne Kramer, the man behind the outrageously violent, over the top action thriller Running Scared. I can't remember if I found that out before or after I saw the film, but this time Kramer has adopted a slightly more balanced, level headed approach in this series of inter-woven tales revolving around America and the issue of immigration for those trying to get in and those trying to control it. It's also sort of an exploration of human nature, between those who are caring and empathetic to those in desperate circumstances, such as Harrison Ford's immigration officer and those who exploit them, such as sleazy Green Card Approval Officer Ray Liotta.
The director's crazy, frenetic style has not completely gone away, and this sort of multi character plot line might not have been the best outlet for his approach to film, but this does not emerge as a failure. You do emerge genuinely caring about the characters and the outcome of their stories. Kramer has crafted an ambitious and brave film that serves some decent food for thought. ***
The first thing that caught my eye about Crossing Over is the name of the director and writer, Wayne Kramer, the man behind the outrageously violent, over the top action thriller Running Scared. I can't remember if I found that out before or after I saw the film, but this time Kramer has adopted a slightly more balanced, level headed approach in this series of inter-woven tales revolving around America and the issue of immigration for those trying to get in and those trying to control it. It's also sort of an exploration of human nature, between those who are caring and empathetic to those in desperate circumstances, such as Harrison Ford's immigration officer and those who exploit them, such as sleazy Green Card Approval Officer Ray Liotta.
The director's crazy, frenetic style has not completely gone away, and this sort of multi character plot line might not have been the best outlet for his approach to film, but this does not emerge as a failure. You do emerge genuinely caring about the characters and the outcome of their stories. Kramer has crafted an ambitious and brave film that serves some decent food for thought. ***