After watching this movie and reading the
reviews, the best thing that I can say is...it's complicated. People are going to watch this movie and see the story differently.
Upon entry is the story of a couple, Diego and Elena, emigrating from Spain to the United States. They are selected for extra screening at customs, which becomes a long an arduous process for them. From the beginning, the agents who deal with them are very terse, and while maybe not discourteous they certainly are not polite either. The couple is taken from the original intake area to a secondary area without explanation. Their concerns about making a connecting flight and wanting to contact a family member they were hoping to meet on their layover are ignored by the agents. They are subjected to numerous questions, some of a personal nature, which may be necessary and reasonable but are handled with little tact by the agents.
As our story develops, we find that Diego has previously tried to gain entry to the US and been denied. It is also revealed that prior to the start of relationship with Elena, he was engaged to a woman who lived in the United States that he had never met in person. It also appears there was some overlap between that relationship and his with Elana. He also had not told Elana about the relationship. It also showed that Diego was from Venezuela and didn't want to go back, so he was somewhat dependent on Elena - certainly to get into the US because she won the Visa lottery.
Now, in my mind the movie presented these in a manner that raised suspicion - but it did not seem to give a clear answer to it. I somewhat think that the investigators weren't sure either, but just hoped to interrogate them so harshly to see if they would break - either that or they were just pure sadist.
As the interrogation comes to a close, it appears that Elena has become completely distrustful of Diego. However, she is told at the end of her solo interrogation that she can come into the country without him. The film cuts away before she answers, and shows her being led back into the waiting room where she intentionally sits several seats away from Diego. She appears hurt, and says she just wants to go home. Diego seemingly tries to explain himself, causing her to leave to use the restroom where she washes her face, and seemingly composed herself.
Both are called to the desk where, their passports are stamped and they are told "welcome to America" with the film Immediately ending.
What I take from this movie is that it actually poses a question to the viewer by showing people "at their worst" and asking you to make a decision about them. I like to think that the immigration agents are overworked, underpaid, have a very hard job and were having a very bad day...but had a legitimate purpose rather than simply being bad people. I like to believe that Elena and (especially) Diego were 100 percent legitimate in their aims, even if they weren't always perfect.
I gave this movie a high rating because I believe it is well done, thought provoking a worth a watch.
Upon entry is the story of a couple, Diego and Elena, emigrating from Spain to the United States. They are selected for extra screening at customs, which becomes a long an arduous process for them. From the beginning, the agents who deal with them are very terse, and while maybe not discourteous they certainly are not polite either. The couple is taken from the original intake area to a secondary area without explanation. Their concerns about making a connecting flight and wanting to contact a family member they were hoping to meet on their layover are ignored by the agents. They are subjected to numerous questions, some of a personal nature, which may be necessary and reasonable but are handled with little tact by the agents.
As our story develops, we find that Diego has previously tried to gain entry to the US and been denied. It is also revealed that prior to the start of relationship with Elena, he was engaged to a woman who lived in the United States that he had never met in person. It also appears there was some overlap between that relationship and his with Elana. He also had not told Elana about the relationship. It also showed that Diego was from Venezuela and didn't want to go back, so he was somewhat dependent on Elena - certainly to get into the US because she won the Visa lottery.
Now, in my mind the movie presented these in a manner that raised suspicion - but it did not seem to give a clear answer to it. I somewhat think that the investigators weren't sure either, but just hoped to interrogate them so harshly to see if they would break - either that or they were just pure sadist.
As the interrogation comes to a close, it appears that Elena has become completely distrustful of Diego. However, she is told at the end of her solo interrogation that she can come into the country without him. The film cuts away before she answers, and shows her being led back into the waiting room where she intentionally sits several seats away from Diego. She appears hurt, and says she just wants to go home. Diego seemingly tries to explain himself, causing her to leave to use the restroom where she washes her face, and seemingly composed herself.
Both are called to the desk where, their passports are stamped and they are told "welcome to America" with the film Immediately ending.
What I take from this movie is that it actually poses a question to the viewer by showing people "at their worst" and asking you to make a decision about them. I like to think that the immigration agents are overworked, underpaid, have a very hard job and were having a very bad day...but had a legitimate purpose rather than simply being bad people. I like to believe that Elena and (especially) Diego were 100 percent legitimate in their aims, even if they weren't always perfect.
I gave this movie a high rating because I believe it is well done, thought provoking a worth a watch.