From NetFlix:

Academy Award-winning director Jim Sheridan brings authenticity and grit to this heartwarming drama about an Irish family starting life anew in early-1980s America. With their two daughters in tow, Johnny (Paddy Considine) and Sarah (Samantha Morton) leave Ireland and head to New York so Johnny can pursue an acting career. What follows is a series of adventures, both comical and terrifying, as they struggle to make the most of their new life.

Usually I am fairly hard-hearted about sentimental films (“been there, seen that”), but this film, I have to admit, got a few weeps out of yours truly. The interplay of the family characters was almost inspiring to see. How those parents loved those kids! What NetFlix fails to tell you is that the theme of the entire movie is that before coming to America (illegally), they had lost a young boy Frankie of 3 years. This is a story of loss and deferred mourning. The African artist Mateo is played by Djimon Hounsou who played the lead African “slave” in “Amistad”. I could have watched the two little daughters forever. Despite certain details too good to be true at the end, the ending really got to me.

I hate to say “not for children” but there was one wonderful (and tastefully played) sex scene. Also at one point Mateo puts his blood on a canvas.

I try not to rave (especially since our mood at the time determines how we receive a film), but don’t miss this one!