Film Review: Reviewed By Trevor Johnston; 2 out of 5

The lives of illegal immigrants hoping to remain in the US and the attempts of Los Angeles authorities to prevent it shape this provocative ensemble drama that's very reminiscent of Paul Haggis's Crash in style. The spotlight falls on a Mexican single mother (Alice Braga) caught working without papers, an Australian actress (Alice Eve) with an expired visa and a dodgy Brit (Jim Sturgess) passing as a Jewish religious teacher. Deciding their fates are a Homeland Security cop (Harrison Ford) and an immigration lawyer (Ashley Judd) who wear their hearts on their sleeve, while a green-card adjudicator (Ray Liotta) has few moral scruples. It all makes for a bustling two hours, yet writer/director Wayne Kramer - a South African who became a US citizen - relies too heavily on clunky coincidences without ever really managing to surprise us. Though the film is dramatically lifeless, its sincerity and evident compassion for the underdog does set us pondering the values of citizenship that many take for granted.

Plot Summary

Multi-stranded drama starring Harrison Ford, Jim Sturgess, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd. In Los Angeles, the lives of illegal immigrants from all over the globe come under scrutiny from a variety of officials, some of whom are not above abusing their power.