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No Turning Back (2001)
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Synopsis: OCEANSIDE, California/Newswire/ - Life was not easy for single parent Pablo, an honest and hard working English professor from Honduras, who lost his pregnant wife and home during Hurricane Mitch. In an attempt to offer a better future for his five year old daughter, Cristina, he illegally... OCEANSIDE, California/Newswire/ - Life was not easy for single parent Pablo, an honest and hard working English professor from Honduras, who lost his pregnant wife and home during Hurricane Mitch. In an attempt to offer a better future for his five year old daughter, Cristina, he illegally immigrated to California, where he began working in the fields. It was Cristina's birthday, and Pablo borrowed his boss' truck to surprise his daughter at school and take her to watch the movie Tarzan. On the way there, a dog jumped into his path, and Pablo quickly jerked the wheel. He lost complete control of the truck and a tragic accident occurred. Wild thoughts frantically crossed his mind - he had no license and was an illegal immigrant. If he waited for the authorities to arrive, this accident would cost him what he valued the most: his daughter and the betterment of her life. He picked Cristina up from school, but his problems just begun. Soid, a young, radical, and story-hungry journalist, managed to follow him and strike a deal. She would drive them to Mexico, on the condition that she video taped their adventure. She convinced him that nobody would suspect him, if he was being filmed. Near the border, Pablo changed his mind. Not willing to give up his dreams of a better life for his daughter, he decided that there was no turning back. They would head to Canada. Scared and desperate, Cristina and Pablo altered their appearance in order to escape the authorities. She became a little boy, changing her name to her favorite music star… Henry Iglesias. All he wanted was a better life for his daughter, but this one accident would turn their lives into a living hell. Emotionally caught between what he had done, and his love and care for his daughter, Pablo did everything to make sure that they didn't take this away from him. -- © No Turning Back Productions [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Jesus Nebot, Lindsay Price, Vernee Watson Johnson
DVD Info
Release:
Sep 3, 2004
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Snap Case
- Letterboxed Widescreen - 1.78
- Single Layer/Single Side
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 2.1 Sound - Stereo - English
- Dolby Digital 2.1 Sound - Stereo - Spanish
Reviews
No Turning Back is intense at its core, looking at not just the tough choices we make but the process that goes into making them.
It bolts out of the blocks tugging a crate full of bricks, two wrecking balls, and a cruise-ship anchor.
A well-intentioned study of illegal immigration and its various social ramifications ultimately trips over a tangle of clunky scripting.
Can be heavy-handed at times and the quality of the acting is all over the map. But the dilemmas depicted are real and they feel real, which gives the film a hard-edged poignancy.
The filmmakers simply don't possess the skills to bring off a drama that can support serious themes, thus trivializing the very concerns they are trying to bring attention to.
With juggling so many hats for an independent film, Nebot along with director/writer Julia Montejo manage to pull out all the stops and create a compelling drama with a little social message for good taste.
No Turning Back deserves the seven international festival awards it has earned.
Nebot's passionate work as an actor in particular glues the film together.


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