No Turning Back is a thought provoking story of a man who faces more than just a moral dilemma. Pablo is an illegal immigrant from Honduras who comes to California with his only daughter after his pregnant wife is killed in Hurricane Mitch. He promises his little girl, Christina, that he will never leave her and does everything in his power to keep that promise. The protagonist is a decent man but when he hits a child on her bicycle he is forced to run from the law. While trying to figure out a way out of the states for good, Pablo and Christina encounter a documentary filmmaker named Soid who tries to help them while filming their journey.
There are two notable acting performances in this heartfelt story. Jesús Nebot does a beautiful job portraying Pablo, a loving father who is tormented by the compromising situation he finds himself in. Even though I knew he was wrong, I was pulling for him to make it to Canada to start a new life with his daughter. Susan Haskell drew me in with her emotional scenes, as well. She was outstanding as the grieving mother of a little girl killed by a hit and run driver. It was the rich performances given by these two actors that carried the storyline by tugging at my heartstrings.
Unfortunately, there were a few times during the film in which the tone fell a little flat. It was a bit unrealistic for the father of the deceased girl to be so calm and go back to work right after his daughter died. He never really seemed to be affected by the loss of his child. Also, I didn't quite feel the sense of urgency of a family running from the law. It would have added more depth to the storyline if the audience could really feel the brutality of Pablo and Cristina living on the streets for a week with no money, clean clothes, or a comfortable place to sleep. Soid was with them the entire time but never looked dirty, tired or affected by the elements at all.
Although I feel like the tone of the film was lacking in emotion at times, I did sympathize with the characters. I was pleasantly surprised to see a realistic conclusion instead of the cliché Hollywood ending. Being on a tight budget of money and time didn't seem to affect the writing and directing team of Julia Montejo and Jesús Nebot. The two succeeded in creating an engaging film inspired by a true chain of events. They certainly got a message across to me. No Turning Back is a touching story that makes you think about how a split second can change your life forever.
There are two notable acting performances in this heartfelt story. Jesús Nebot does a beautiful job portraying Pablo, a loving father who is tormented by the compromising situation he finds himself in. Even though I knew he was wrong, I was pulling for him to make it to Canada to start a new life with his daughter. Susan Haskell drew me in with her emotional scenes, as well. She was outstanding as the grieving mother of a little girl killed by a hit and run driver. It was the rich performances given by these two actors that carried the storyline by tugging at my heartstrings.
Unfortunately, there were a few times during the film in which the tone fell a little flat. It was a bit unrealistic for the father of the deceased girl to be so calm and go back to work right after his daughter died. He never really seemed to be affected by the loss of his child. Also, I didn't quite feel the sense of urgency of a family running from the law. It would have added more depth to the storyline if the audience could really feel the brutality of Pablo and Cristina living on the streets for a week with no money, clean clothes, or a comfortable place to sleep. Soid was with them the entire time but never looked dirty, tired or affected by the elements at all.
Although I feel like the tone of the film was lacking in emotion at times, I did sympathize with the characters. I was pleasantly surprised to see a realistic conclusion instead of the cliché Hollywood ending. Being on a tight budget of money and time didn't seem to affect the writing and directing team of Julia Montejo and Jesús Nebot. The two succeeded in creating an engaging film inspired by a true chain of events. They certainly got a message across to me. No Turning Back is a touching story that makes you think about how a split second can change your life forever.