krocheav This has to be one of the best looking films of 2013. The recreation of over crowded, grotty 1921 New York is quite eye popping in its nightmarish appearance. Desperate to settle in this rather foreboding place are the immigrants from war ravaged Europe (two young girls from Poland in this case). For some of these poor souls the Ghettos they were escaping - must have resembled those they found waiting to greet them. Hell's Kitchen is an apt description. For those fortunate enough, there may have been a 'better' life to be forged.Writer director James Gray reaches into some of his own families experiences to craft a powerful work that could drag some viewers into places and situations they might rather not go. Somehow this diligent director manages to expose the many sordid situations that befall our genteel young Polish lasses, with at times, surprising subtlety. Apart from several topless women and the odd four letter word, he manages to fully convey the somewhat tragic lives of vulnerable women, coerced into the seedy sex trade by opportunists. This is the sort of subject film makers the likes of Scorsese, Eastwood, Kubrick etc, would sensationalize to the hilt. Gray, tells it all forthrightly but with a class and integrity uncommon in today's 'in your face' movies. He, or co-writer Ric Menello also manage to weave into the gritty script, insightful Biblical quotes that add hope to often desperate situations. The main leads turn in tour de force performances. Marian Cotillard as Ewa, the young Pole wanting to make enough money to supply continuing medical treatment for her institutionalized sister is superb. Her equal, is vegan actor and son of one time missionaries: Joaquin Phoenix, playing the corrupt people user Bruno. Bruno is himself the son of immigrant's who still retains descent family memories - now, he's beginning to recognize the qualities he's corrupting in Ewa - leaving him with complex layers of regret and a deep seated burning to redeem some of his better self. His is a finely etched Dostoevsky style characterization, played with convincing power.The combination of multiple Oscar nominated veteran costume designer Patricia Norris ('The Elephant Man' '80) ~ Art director Pete Zuma ~ Set decorator David Schlesinger ~ Iranian born Cinematographer Darius Khondji (Panic Room '02) make for a sumptuous visual treat. Music composer Chris Spelman's evocative score is given grand treatment under the baton of the Prague Filmharmonic. He also appears as Arturo Toscanini. There are a couple of questionable plot occurrences along the way, and the casual viewer may not last the distance due to the measured pace. Don't come to this looking for explosive action or comic book hero's. If you have a preference for character development and classic quality film making then you could stand a chance of being richly rewarded.

sol- Separated from her ill sister and facing deportation, a Polish immigrant is taken in by a burlesque show operator who may or may not have her best intentions at heart in this drama set in 1920s New York. The film holds no bars in depicting the difficulties of immigration as our disillusioned protagonist, played by Marion Cotillard, comes to accept an existence very different to what she once imagined. Cotillard's performance is rather multi-layered: simultaneously vulnerable and ruthless (resorting to stealing what she can), and simultaneously accepting of her fate and focused on achieving more. Joaquin Phoenix is also superb as the burlesque man with a breakdown scene near the end in which he finally drops all pretenses to reveal a beating human heart. Their situation is also complicated by Cotillard encountering Phoenix's estranged cousin, played by Jeremy Renner, and a love triangle develops that never quite clicks since we are unsure until the end whether Phoenix really loves her, and as it is never clear whether Renner really loves her either or just wants to make Phoenix jealous. Certainly, an animosity exists between the two cousins that the film does not explore in as much depth as it perhaps could have. Still, what the film does do well it does very, very well. It is quite rare to find a film with such a graphic insight into the harsh actual reality of the American Dream and Cotillard's character is very much one-of-a-kind. Torn between would-be saviours and false promises, she never once gives up hope, even if her own American Dream is decidedly different by the end.

gudpaljoey-78582 The Immigrant is a beautiful movie, marked by great photography and direction, and powerful acting, all told in a play that to my mind is a morality tale for modern times. Marion Cotillard's performance is especially powerful and was deserving of an Oscar. Mr. Phoenix continues to create a body of work that will rank him among our best actors. It is the tale of a virginal young woman escaping with her sister from the horrors of war in a country where both her parents were killed. Ewa the young woman is separated from her sister, sick with lung disease, at the port of entry in 1921 New York. She is determined to get her sister back and to survive she allows herself to be helped by Bruno, the Phoenix character, a man of questionable morals who leads her into prostitution. He becomes charmed by her innocence and dedication in spite of the life he has led her into, and continues to help her hoping that her response will lead to a love for him. The interplay between the two main characters is great cinema. When Ewa gets her sister back i could feel her well earned joy, and feel sorrow for Bruno, left to be punished but finally finding salvation by helping the young woman he came to love.

g-bodyl The Immigrant has to be one of the most overlooked films of 2014. It only came out in limited release, but I believe the film should have received more press, especially with the talent involved. This is a sweeping melodrama that has such a captivating story that hearkens back to days of old when these kind of films were released almost weekly. This story is also a history lesson in a sense that the film gives off a vibe of 1920's New York during an era of immigration, prostitution, and Prohibition. The film shows the dangers that these foreign newcomers must face in a strange, new land.James Gray's film is about a woman named Ewa who arrives in Ellis Island with her sister, Magda after coming from Poland. The sisters are separated as tuberculosis overtaken Magda. Ewa is forced out into the NYC streets where this man named Bruno takes her under his wing in the form of prostitution. She does not like this life, but she may find a way out when she meets this magician named Orlando who promises her a new life and a chance to reunite with her sister.The acting is very, very good. A film with the three leads it has should not be confined to limited release. Joaquin Phoenix gives a very strong performance as Bruno. It seems a rather restrained performance, but great nonetheless. Speaking of great, Marion Cotillard also impresses me in her role as the scared, lost Ewa. Marion should have been nominated for an Oscar with this role. Finally, Jeremy Renner does an excellent job as Orlando, and I feel he should have more screen time.Overall, the Immigrant is a beautiful, well-acted film and it's a rare film that gives a woman this kind of role in this day and age. Not only are the actors are in fine form, this film features some amazing lush cinematography. The camera shots of 20th-century Manhattan is just beautiful. This film needed more press, but alas the lack of people seeing this movie does not stop it from being a good, old-fashioned period piece.My Grade: A-