The Immigrant

This remarkable portrait of grace combines excellent period detail with a keen sense of framing and mise en scene. The pictures really do tell so much of the story here, with the final shot being a singular achievement in this regard. Because of the care with which Gray unfolds the story, much of these characters' thoughts and feelings pass beneath the surface, only becoming clear in retrospect. As such, I expect the film to be quite rewarding on repeat viewings.

Such a film about the many contraditions life gives us. For every pure gesture, there is a profane attitude. America is not the land of opportunities, but of sorrow and love. Gray makes sure his Immigrant unfolds like a magnificent novel about the people who built this country with their own bodies and paths -- THAT last shot is maybe the greatest image contemporary America cinema has produced --, not with bricks or tons of money. A human monument.

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Striking production design, competently directed with a solid cast. The plot doesn't have any particular spark to it, but it does make you care what happens to the characters, so I'd say it's a successful film.

The fine visuals and Marion Cotillard kept my attention, but some of aspects of the ending didn't seem earned and felt like a self-conscious attempt to avoid being predictable and bland. It avoided the former, perhaps, but not the latter. ps68

A very nice grouping of performances, and for the most part, capably directed. It does suffer from some questionable forced drama and pacing though.

Nothing particularly good about this movie, and contrived performances pollute the absurdly lavish sets. Rarely does it feel authentic, those in poverty do not live in even relative squalor, and the pointless script seems to bring us in circles with no actual point in mind. The more I think about it, the less I enjoyed it.

It looks fantastic; the period detail is impeccable, Darius Khondji's cinematography is beautifully composed, and director James Gray stages some effective scenes. But the script (which Gray co-wrote with Ric Menello) is a muddled, muted melodrama, which occasionally flares to life but never develops its protagonist (Marion Cotillard, doing what she can) as well as it develops its villain (Joaquin Phoenix, excellent as ever). It's got enough juice to keep one watching, but it never catches fire.

Despite its intentions, nothing about this seems to ring true.

Not so bad, but definitely James Gray's weakest yet. It's an interesting premise, well acted, and the Bruno character (Phoenix) is compelling (despite Gray's mistake of filming his cathartic key monologue as a side-shot), but the movie, which might have been a gritty social-realist period piece, stumbles instead into melodrama and is plagued by contrivances.

fine line between earnestly evoking unfashionable bygone traditions (borzage, sirk, coppola), and merely demonstrating why they became unfashionable. gray's screenplays cross that line at times, dipping into tired archetype which distances me from the characters' struggles. the way he communicates through his amber-embalmed compositions is absolutely unimpeachable though, and TWO LOVERS remains an all-timer, its script awkwardness seeming the logical expression of stunted characters.

Unforgiving in its sincerity, yet rewarding for the determined, 'The Immigrant' cuts to the dark heart of the American dream. Regardless of some jarring tonal inconsistencies, it is handled with an estimable degree of delicacy and emotional honesty. Quite a lovely film that finds its director in fine form.

Presents a thought-provoking exploration of forgiveness and the search for purpose in the face of an utterly reprehensible and morally corrupt character. Invites viewers to grapple with complex themes of redemption and resilience.

This movie emotional, but not emotionally manipulative. It walks this fine line and graduates with great honors, because tonally I felt this was a homerun. It works on every level. Set in 100% convincing historical (the real!) locations, beautiful soundtrack and fantastic cinematography (the last shot + music is mesmerizing and a proof of great craftmanship and love for cinema) and almost no false notes in performances, pacing or plot twists.

A sad, slow little tale that cuts to the heart of the American dream. But it lacks spark.

Important filmmaking. Tells the story of one in a way that reminds you of all the others out there.

Very good.

It lacks the bite I hoped it would possess, but The Immigrant is still a solid period drama with great world-building and stellar performances from Cotillard and Phoenix.

...Für mich ist der Charakter von Ewa fast wie der einer Heiligen. Vielleicht hätte man ihr ein paar menschliche Gefühle wie Wut oder zumindest Ungeduld verpassen können? So wirkt sie etwas zu gut, um wahr zu sein... die ganze Rezension gibts auf der Seite unserer Videothek cinegeek.de

Star Rating: ★★★★1/2

I can't help but admire Gray for his sheer unwavering commitment to genuine, died-in-the-wool melodrama with absolutely no winking postmodern or revisionist modifiers of any kind whatsoever (complete with syrupy, swelling strings and all). This practically defines terms like "handsomely made" and "well crafted", with great performances all around (but especially Phoenix). With such unfashionable, unabashed classicism the poor guy barely stands a chance. No wonder the French critics love him.

Cotilard's character is so reluctant to prostitute you wonder if she could even get a date. But man after man still swoons for her sad boney looks. Tiring purity quest. Fittingly - that boat had sailed PS the summary is wrong - the pimp is her savior

The director being James Gray, we have to wonder if this is a film about film-making, with Joaquin Phoenix playing the director. As a melodrama, it fits in nicely with the years in which it is set. It is certainly easy on the eye.

Possibly the first time I've been unimpressed with Darius Khondji photography.

Beautiful and timeless. You have to wonder why Gray's movies haven't been recognized so far. Production, writing, acting, all very careful. Pensive catholic swift, and a touching, almost transcendent finale.

It's beautifully shot and competently crafted but the story itself lacks spark and its small moments of emotional depth and feeling fail to solidify into something more thematically substantial. Marion Cotillard does some typically outstanding work.

Pacing and writing issues, but it looks fantastic.

Impressive production design, but lacks a certain something to really elevate it. For all its melodramatic plotting, it doesn't feel as devastating as it seems it intends to be.

çok iyi bir atmosfer, iyi yaratılmış bir geçmiş ama bir noktadan sonra çekiciliklerini kaybeden hikaye ve karakterler.

Gray's strength is employing rather (seemingly) generic conventions, piling on the mood and atmosphere, and creating rich, unexpected layers of subtext, but he falls short here. The look of The Immigrant perfectly recreates a feeling of time and place--the amber lit interiors are particularly beautiful--but the film lacks dramatic intensity, and Gray is unable to rise above his screenplay's contrivances. It's well made, but it never gets out of second gear.

Hallelujah, James Gray has made a movie about the New World or American Dream without so much as a scrap or flicker of joy or amusement anywhere in it. A sobering romp of degradation, prostitution, slavery and scumbaggery with a abundance of dull-coloured fabrics was just the tonic I needed. The dialogue is so clunky and the plot so devoid of intrigue, I wonder how this mess ever got from script to screen. The curse of nominative determinism has struck James Gray hard. It's his worst ever film.

There's clearly greatness within here, starting with the film's grand portrayal of 1920s New York, rendered in gorgeous golden-hued cinematography, and continuing on to its excellent trio of lead actors. However, I can't shake the feeling that something's missing, something that would solidify it as one of my favorite films of the year.

For what it's worth, you should know that I am a GIGANTIC Marion Cotillard mark. She has been consistently phenomenal in everything I've seen her in. And to pair her with a talent the level of Joaquin Phoenix can make for magic. And Jeremy Renner is no slouch; he may actually be the flick's MVP. This isn't the greatest story you'll ever hear from this time and place, but that's not saying it's bad. It's good for what it is, and has really good performances of some flawed, intriguing characters.

Beautifully earnest and melodramatic in a way that I find incredibly optimistic, despite its tragic underpinnings. Feels archetypal without rendering any of the three leads hollow. Intelligent and emotional in equal measure. And I could stare at those amber-toned shots of old New York for days.

Reminds me a lot of On the Waterfront, and Pheonix is every bit as raw as Brando was in that flick.

Inconsistent and has a melodramatic latter half that is hard to care for. Jeremy Renner looks very uncomfortable in his role.

While the two leads are wonderful, the drama feels forced and melodramatic. How much bad shit do you have to include for the viewer to be moved? Far less than this.

The story is simple and uncomplicated, but allows the characters more breathing room to be very ambiguous in regards to their primary motives. The acting is very good, with Cotillard and Phoenix doing wonders, and the lovingly recreated set-design, make-up, and cinematography really bring you into New York circa a century ago. The downside is that the film falls into dullness occasionally due to how relentlessly (and sometimes unnecessarily) slow it is.

A film that is entranced with the artifice of the American dream and all that it entails. At its heart it does the immigrant experience justice as one of loss and struggle in a treacherous land. On the other hand the story is not very compelling. An immigrant turned prostitute who is forced to make the rounds to save her ailing sister is still the stereotypical hooker with a heart of gold 101.Cotillard's character was very cookie cutter. Phoenix and Renner's conflict was intriguing.

Reenforces heinous anti-Semitic stereotypes. Fun!

It's a solid film with a good performance by Cotillard, but nothing here screamed greatness IMO. It looks good and Phoenix and Renner are both decent too, but it never reached the heights that I expected it to.

This is a film with a lot going for it. The visuals are fantastic, with fine period detail and rich use of light and colour from Darius Khondji. Cotillard and Phoenix are as good as ever, and the film has interesting things to say about American culture and the immigrant experience. It's a little too melodramatic for its own good though, in content if not in mood, and it just never grabbed me as it could have. Still, a solid drama.

A prime example of how drama should be done. There is no need for predictably unpredictable twists, conspiracies or Oscar-seeking moments of tragedy and triumph. Not when the dilemmas of desperate lives are so well-portrayed. I felt sympathy, mistrust and frustration with all of the characters - just as you do with people in real life! This is a union of Hollywood and European cinema and, for me, it is the future.

Joaquin Phoenix is really good at the sensitive and possessive dude, huh? Cotillard is the real reason to see this, though the movie's big brooding seriousness never seems to be flattering for her. Yes, the point is about all the invisible forces pushing against one (it's Naruse-esque) actually, but it's handled in such a way that the film seems to claim its own importance. It looks good and everything, just tone things down, I guess?

I know I'm supposed to feel overjoyed when catharsis finally arrives, but I haven't actually empathized with any of the characters. But I'll be damned if Joaquin doesn't unload some breathtaking psychosis into his performance. And that's all I wanted from this, personally.

Through it all, as if to defy the darkness encircling her, Ewa clings tenaciously and desperately to her faith, struggling to accept God's forgiveness herself and to offer it to Bruno. All for the sake of saving her beloved sister--with whom she simply wanted to start a new and better life in the place so many have called the Land of Liberty. (pluggedin.com)

Cast was nice though it did not kept my intention as good as it should.

It walks a very fine line of how bleak your life can be when you chase the American dream. If you're into these kind of dramas you'll enjoy this one.

Really enjoyable. Some problems with narrative & editing, but the cast, well-done sets and overall pace of the film makes up for it. Could have so easily been too bleak or not too bleak but I felt like it toed the line well.

A sublime old-fashioned melodrama played with superb naturalistic emotional insight by Phoenix and specially Cotillard, who exudes a golden age star quality and whose face Khondi and Gray pay an ode to throughout.