With many movies out there about immigration to the U.S. from other countries 3 Américas is unique in that it tells the reverse story: a young girl who is forced to leave her home in Boston after the death of her aunt and move in with her grandmother in Buenos Aires, Argentina. América struggles to form her identity as she starts to get to know her grandmother along with the culture and language of Argentina. There were many times in the movie where I thought that there would be a breakthrough for América, but it never really came. There were so many opportunities for a change in character and personality but it just never happened, which was a bit frustrating. It was hard to relate to the main character, she just seemed so "blah" and not very interesting at all. To give some credit there were one or two scenes that made for a more interesting plot, but they were few and far between.

The points that this movie gets are only earned in the idea behind the plot as provoking and intriguing to both North and South American audiences. Unfortunately, however, all this is lost in a mess of amateur acting and poor writing. América is a sassy teenage doing her best in Boston to leave behind her Argentinian heritage. However, horrible events leave América without a guardian and forced to leave Boston for Argentina to live with her anti-American grandmother. The cultural divide between América and her grandmother is far too obvious; there is little in there relationship that develops or is left up to the imagination of the audience. This lack of creativity is characteristic of every relationship in the movie. América befriends an older man who works on their houses. The relationship becomes somewhat romantic, however it never really resolves and ends awkwardly. This movie fails to provide significant meaning or intrigue with its weak writing and poor acting of a theme that had great potential to achieve both.

After the death of her aunt, young America is sent to Argentina to live with her bitter and controlling grandmother. It is a difficult transition for the trouble teen that has a history of bad-tempered outbursts and shoplifting. She does not respect her grandmother and refuses to obey her. The plot at the beginning progresses very slowly and the acting by the characters in the scenes in the US leaves something to be desired. Once America arrives in Argentina her transition from rebel to young lady takes place extremely slowly and one wonders if it will ever take place. Though her grandmother seems strict at first, the audience quickly takes her side and feels sorry for all of the difficulties she has to go through because of her granddaughter and her stroke. The music in the movie was perfectly suited to the scenes. At first I was disinterested in the movie and wondered if it would be worth finishing but once America begins her journey to becoming mature the movie is really worth watching.

This is a truly well-made and heartfelt film about a girl growing up in difficult circumstances. There are quite a few films that cover the subject matter, but very few manage to capture it with as much emotion, sincerity and realism as this once does. I can't understand why films like this one are never given the attention they rightfully deserve--films that have something to say and know how to say them, refusing to compromise their integrity or pander to sensationalism--while cinemas are overflowing with dime-a-dozen films that are either remakes or retreads of other movies that were not very good in the first place. In the .22 caliber world of film-making that we currently live in, movies like "3 Americas" are like a .357 magnum.