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(About Our Ads) "UNDER THE SAME MOON" (2008) (Kate del Castillo, Adrian Alonso) (PG-13) If you've come from our parental review of this film and wish to return to it, simply click on your browser's BACK button. Otherwise, use the following link to read our complete Parental Review of this film. QUICK TAKE: Drama (Spanish/English): Following the death of his grandmother, a 9-year-old Mexican boy sets out for Los Angeles to be with his mom who he hasn't seen since she snuck across the border four years earlier in hopes of making a better life for both of them. PLOT: Carlitos Reyes (ADRIAN ALONSO) is a 9-year-old Mexican boy who lives with his ailing grandmother, Benita (ANGELINA PELÁEZ), and looks forward to every Sunday when his mom, Rosario (KATE DEL CASTILLO), calls from Los Angeles. She snuck into the U.S. with her friend Alicia (MAYA ZAPATA) four years ago in hopes of making a better life for her and Carlitos, but her absence is putting a strain on the boy. When not hanging out with his friend, Chito (ISAAC BRAVO), Carlitos spends time assisting Dona Carmen (CARMEN SALINAS), a middle-aged woman who arranges border crossings for Mexicans wishing to enter the U.S. She's so good that she turns down an offer from American siblings Marta (AMERICA FERRERA) and David (JESSE GARCIA) who want to raise tuition money by smuggling babies across the border, a point not lost on Carlitos. For when his grandmother dies in his sleep, the boy packs up his things and saved money, leaves a note regarding his intentions, and then sets out to be reunited with his mom in Los Angeles. While Rosario holds down two jobs and must contend with the friendly romantic overtures of Paco (GABRIEL PORRAS), a security guard with papers who's willing to marry her to alleviate her problem, Carlitos must contend with an array of setbacks and perils, as well as various people who help him along the way on his long and arduous journey. Chief among them is migrant worker and fellow illegal immigrant Enrique (EUGENIO DERBEZ) who initially wants nothing to do with the boy, but grows to like him. He even convinces Carlitos that he should meet the father the boy's never known, Oscar (ERNESTO D'ALESSIO). As the 9-year-old and his new friend make their way to Los Angeles in hopes of finding Rosario, little do they know she's planning on returning to Mexico to look for him. OUR TAKE: 5.5 out of 10 In today's political and cultural climate, few things are as contentious as the issue of illegal immigrants. Some believe they tap our resources without paying any related taxes, while others claim they deserve some or all of the benefits offered to residents, simply for being here. Whatever the case, and despite the legal and physical hazards, people still pour over the border in high numbers, hoping for a better life. Most, however, quickly learn that the grass is not the vibrant green they had dreamed of on the other side. Menial jobs, worries about the INS and separation from family and friends often temper their "new" lives. Such is the case in the familial drama "Under the Same Moon" where Rosario Reyes (a striking Kate del Castillo) has illegally immigrated to Los Angeles where she holds down two jobs, hoping to raise enough money to pay a lawyer to help bring her son to the city of angels. However, it's been four years since her river crossing, meaning her mother (Angelina Pelaez) has been raising 9-year-old Carlitos (a stellar Adrian Alonso), although her failing health has pretty much reversed their roles. All of which means he's had to grow up much faster than normal, although that's prepped him for what's to come. And that's a long and arduous journey into and across part of America, following his grandmother's death, all in hopes of finding his mom. Along the way, he encounters a variety of people who help him, as well as those who hinder his quest, but he perseveres nonetheless. The point of the film -- directed by Patricia Riggen from a script by Ligiah Villalobos -- would appear to be putting a human face (or two or three) on the illegal immigration issue, all while showing how familial love can drive people to various extremes in quests to be reunited. The title comes from the mom's wishful philosophy for her and her boy in that looking up at our celestial body, they'll be connected by their simultaneous view.. From that, one could easily segue into a thematic element that everyone -- legal or not -- lives and operates under a common element, and thus poses the question of why we all just can't get along. Of course, that's an oversimplification of the issue, and for anyone to be entertained by the film and/or moved by the characters and their plight, they'll have to accept or at least overlook what's still an illegal activity. Then there's the fact that one must not mind the plethora of coincidences and chance meetings the script offers in the boy's journey, or the sometimes uneven mix of comedy or at least comedic relief in with the dramatic proceedings (most related to Eugenio Derbez as an illegal migrant worker who's initially only looking out for himself, but eventually grows on both the boy and the viewer). That said, the film -- intentionally or not -- occasionally borders on being an "Odyssey" type fable where such things are a bit more easily acceptable. It also contains enough touching and endearing moments to overcome those issues. Besides, you can rarely go wrong -- as a storyteller -- with the tale of a plucky youngster who benefits from the kindness of strangers as both he and his mom try to reunite. "Under the Same Moon" rates as a 5.5 out of 10. Reviewed March 25, 2008 / Posted March 28, 2008