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The Day Laborers

Play trailer The Day Laborers Released Jul 28, 2003 1h 25m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 0 Reviews 36% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Seeking better wages, Mexican cousins Tura (Ricardo Molina), Pillo (Jose Caro) and Quique (Andrés Salcedo) cross over the American border and arrive in Los Angeles. Welcomed by their uncle, Gilberto (José R. Nevarez), they start working as illegal day laborers, but they find it hard to save money while being exploited. Frustrated, Pillo turns to crime, Tura begins an affair with a wealthy woman and Quique gets an art gallery job. When Quique realizes he is gay, family tensions increase.

Audience Reviews

View All (6) audience reviews
Audience Member Overall the movie had a lot of great things to it, but the were also some very amateurish elements sprinkled in that clearly established that this was a low budget film (For example, the horrible score that actually pulled the movie down With campy music during times when the acting and story were actually doing something special). The acting was overall solid for a low budget film, but inconsistent as a whole. Andres Salcido (who played Quique) and Jose Ramon Nevarez (Who player Uncle Gilberto) really stood out but some of the other actors left much to be desired. The story was solid, if not exceptional. One of the brothers ended up working as hired muscle for a drug dealer, which I felt was the weakest storyline in the movie. First due to the fact that it was so poorly established (the three main characters bump into a homeless guy named Marco and shares their lunch with him. Homeless guy decides to become a drug dealer and within a few months he becomes a major drug lord). I also had trouble believing how naive Tura was, at one point having to be told by his uncle and cousins that Marco was a drug dealer. It felt very forced and inauthentic. The side story with Pillo and his girlfriend Maria played out much better and felt a lot more real, but it was the storyline of Quique and his relationship with art gallery owner West (played effectively by Cameron Graham) that I felt carried this movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member very weak movie really - only got a 3 star because they were so good looking Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Not bad. But the directing and the set do look unprofessional. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member An interesting movie about a Latino man who hides his relationship with a man from his two brothers. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Another movie well worth watching.. Very good.. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Think of every possible stereotype about Mexican day laborers and this movie has it. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Day Laborers

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Seeking better wages, Mexican cousins Tura (Ricardo Molina), Pillo (Jose Caro) and Quique (Andrés Salcedo) cross over the American border and arrive in Los Angeles. Welcomed by their uncle, Gilberto (José R. Nevarez), they start working as illegal day laborers, but they find it hard to save money while being exploited. Frustrated, Pillo turns to crime, Tura begins an affair with a wealthy woman and Quique gets an art gallery job. When Quique realizes he is gay, family tensions increase.
Director
Lane Shefter Bishop
Screenwriter
Michael Lewis
Production Co
Columbia
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 28, 2003, Original
Runtime
1h 25m