Demian Bichir: Deserving of the Oscar Nom

I saw A Better Life by accident today as I was channel surfing.  This was the movie where unknown Mexican actor Demian Bichir snagged a surprise Oscar nomination for Best Actor this year.  I admit I too was surprised since I thought Michael Fassbender would snag one for Shame.  After watching A Better Life, I realized Demian deserved the nomination more, because the movie he was in was about an illegal immigrant being treated like a criminal.  The movie is a tearjerker and all of them are very good in it.  Demian plays the role really well - dignified and stoic.  Certainly an award-winning performance!

'A Better Life' for Everyone

There are many scenes in A Better Life, this movie which I accidentally saw in Star Movies, which starred the Oscar-nominated actor, Demian Bichir, which are virtual parallels to the OFW experience here in the Philippines, so much so that it's not very hard to feel empathy for the characters in the movie.

This is one of the few movies this year where I had to reach out for my tissue, especially in the last scene between the lead actor, Bichir, and his son in the movie.  A parent and a child, separated under the most crazy of circumstances, is certainly not easy to watch, moreso, if the actors themselves are very good!

I now understand why Demian got the Oscar nomination, probably displacing votes for Michael Fassbender of Shame fame.  You have to remember that there were many high profile A-list actors in the nominations this year that's why Bichir's inclusion really caught everyone by surprise.

However, after watching the movie, you really get to appreciate and understand all the fuzz.  Bichir just plays his character with such dignity and integrity and stoicism that, yeah, you are bound to reach for the tissue, especially, as I said, in the last scene.  He's like a symbol of all the immigrant Dads out there, trying to provide for their families and also making sure that their children don't go astray.  Tough job to juggle!

Related articles

• Demian Bichir: Deserving of the Oscar Nom
• Good Memories of 'For the Boys'
• Five Masterful Things About The Boogie Nights