*My review of Collisions was originally published on Film Inquiry. Click here to read the original post and check out more great reviews from this awesome site!*
The horrors of recent American history receive the narrative treatment in writer/director Richard Levien‘s Collisions, a film that tracks one immigrant family’s separation under the current directives from ICE and President Donald Trump. A small, decidedly low-budget affair that is still often quite moving and engaging, Collisions has the potential to take some viewers (including this writer) by surprise. Even if it feels somewhat hamstrung by its adherence to a digestible story, Levien‘s feature debut is enormously successful.
Collisions follows young Itan (Izabella Alvarez) and Neto (Jason Garcia Jr.), who live in California with Yoana (Ana de la Reguera), their devoted mother. Busy with her work in order to give her family the best chance at the American Dream, Yoana’s attention is always diverted, and it frequently feels like Itan is saddled with a large number of responsibilities that most kids don’t even have to think about. At a time when she’s just beginning to establish her own identity, Itan is responsible for making sure things run smoothly in her household.
Itan’s responsibilities grow even more dramatic one day, when her mother is taken by ICE to be deported from the United States. In one of the film’s more haunting moments, Itan and Neto return from school to find their door open and their mother gone; worse, it’s not immediately clear where she’s been taken to by the authorities. Faced with further interference by the foster system, Itan turns to Evencio (Jesse Garcia), her truck driver uncle with a traumatic past. Evencio initially wants nothing to do with the whole situation, but some sense of duty persuades him to undergo a road trip with his niece and nephew, all in the hopes of finding their mother in this labyrinth of a system.
Levien is an accomplished director, capturing images of profound terror and naturalistic beauty that always exist in stark contrast to one another. His screenplay is a bit shakier, both in regards to the tenor and manner of the dialogue and the more all-encompassing issues of story and narrative flow. Sometimes the conversations between the characters can feel a touch forced and stilted, manufacturing drama when it should flow more succinctly. In general, this small, scene-to-scene note connects to my largest issue with the film, which is that it all feels a bit too clean and cinematic for such a pressing societal issue. Collisions‘ aesthetic is spare and realistic, but its story fits nicely in a series of generic boxes and narratives. It’s a road movie with a redemption arc, and it’s always moving to bring that story to a satisfying conclusion.
Here’s the thing, though: that road movie with a redemption arc really, truly works. Something harsher and more complex may have worked better as a piece of social activism, but as storytelling, Collisions is often immensely compelling. In particular, the performances of Jesse Garcia and Izabella Alvarez are truly impressive; the entire movie hinges on their work and their complex relationship, and they pull it off effortlessly. Even if the conclusion feels a bit preordained, Garcia and Alvarez ensure that Levien‘s emotional punches land with force and gravitas.
The horrors of recent American history receive the narrative treatment in writer/director Richard Levien‘s Collisions, a film that tracks one immigrant family’s separation under the current directives from ICE and President Donald Trump. A small, decidedly low-budget affair that is still often quite moving and engaging, Collisions has the potential to take some viewers (including this writer) by surprise. Even if it feels somewhat hamstrung by its adherence to a digestible story, Levien‘s feature debut is enormously successful.
Collisions follows young Itan (Izabella Alvarez) and Neto (Jason Garcia Jr.), who live in California with Yoana (Ana de la Reguera), their devoted mother. Busy with her work in order to give her family the best chance at the American Dream, Yoana’s attention is always diverted, and it frequently feels like Itan is saddled with a large number of responsibilities that most kids don’t even have to think about. At a time when she’s just beginning to establish her own identity, Itan is responsible for making sure things run smoothly in her household.
Itan’s responsibilities grow even more dramatic one day, when her mother is taken by ICE to be deported from the United States. In one of the film’s more haunting moments, Itan and Neto return from school to find their door open and their mother gone; worse, it’s not immediately clear where she’s been taken to by the authorities. Faced with further interference by the foster system, Itan turns to Evencio (Jesse Garcia), her truck driver uncle with a traumatic past. Evencio initially wants nothing to do with the whole situation, but some sense of duty persuades him to undergo a road trip with his niece and nephew, all in the hopes of finding their mother in this labyrinth of a system.
Levien is an accomplished director, capturing images of profound terror and naturalistic beauty that always exist in stark contrast to one another. His screenplay is a bit shakier, both in regards to the tenor and manner of the dialogue and the more all-encompassing issues of story and narrative flow. Sometimes the conversations between the characters can feel a touch forced and stilted, manufacturing drama when it should flow more succinctly. In general, this small, scene-to-scene note connects to my largest issue with the film, which is that it all feels a bit too clean and cinematic for such a pressing societal issue. Collisions‘ aesthetic is spare and realistic, but its story fits nicely in a series of generic boxes and narratives. It’s a road movie with a redemption arc, and it’s always moving to bring that story to a satisfying conclusion.
Here’s the thing, though: that road movie with a redemption arc really, truly works. Something harsher and more complex may have worked better as a piece of social activism, but as storytelling, Collisions is often immensely compelling. In particular, the performances of Jesse Garcia and Izabella Alvarez are truly impressive; the entire movie hinges on their work and their complex relationship, and they pull it off effortlessly. Even if the conclusion feels a bit preordained, Garcia and Alvarez ensure that Levien‘s emotional punches land with force and gravitas.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.8/10)
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