Under the Same Moon

Its parallel stories of two lost souls seeking each other across geographical divides is never more than one small step away from mawkishness and clich, and oftentimes less. But as a sociological study, it's fascinating.

It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, with its formulas and its sap, but if it can get Lou Dobbs reaching for that Kleenex, it will have done its job.

The performances -- and the movie's sideways glance at the culture of illegal immigrants, including a funny song about Superman ('He has no social security and no green card') -- give the movie its nicely controlled vitality.

Under the Same Moon combines all the elements of an old-fashioned tear-jerker with the low-key, low-budget intelligence of a carefully crafted indie film.

Unfortunately, many of the poignant moments are overwhelmed by a routine and formulaic narrative.

May be predictable and sentimental, but it's impossible to question its conviction.

Tiptoes the line between tragedy and hope and never loses its balance in its account of life and luck in the US-Mexican borderlands.

Story of seperated mother and child doesn't carry much emotional impact. Makes you wonder how much mi madre really cares. Turns into a road drama with the kid headed to Los Angeles. Just couldn't care for the characters. Paul Chambers, CNN.