Continuing my series of underrated movies, this week’s surprisingly underrated movie is The Immigrant. This 2014 movie was the literal definition of an Oscar-bait movie.
The film stars three Best Actor Oscar-nominated actors: Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner.
The Immigrant is a historical pic set in prohibition-era New York City. Cotillard plays Ewa Cybulska, a Polish immigrant traveling with her sister. Upon arriving at Ellis Island, her sister is diagnosed with Tuberculosis and is quarantined. Ewa is denied entry into the United States after she is classified as having “loose morals,” which we later discover was a sexual assault case that she was improperly blamed for despite being the victim.
Bruno Weiss (Phoenix), a showman, pulls some strings to have Ewa released and allowed into the United States. To make extra money for food, she agrees to work for him. It turns out that Bruno is running a prostitution ring and selling booze during Prohibition. Ewa is beautiful and quickly becomes a “fan favorite.” Bruno is stuck between forcing Ewa to become a prostitute and feeling genuine care for her. Desperate to make enough money to free her sister, Ewa joins the group.
The movie depicts the struggles of an immigrant coming to New York City with practically nothing and facing practically insurmountable odds. It seems like the kind of movie that the Academy would eat right up and nominate for four or five Oscars (Just watch the trailer, it seems like something that would fit right in: http://bit.ly/T8YJbd). I don’t know if the promotional campaign behind it wasn’t put together well or it was just a tough movie to compete in, but I am quite shocked that we didn’t hear The Immigrant‘s name during Oscar season.
Fortunately, it is available on Netflix streaming. Check it out and tell me what you think of it.