ReelBob: ‘I Carry You with Me’ ★★★

The challenges and emotional tolls of immigration are set against the backdrop of the love story of two Mexican men.

“I Carry You with Me” is a melancholy love story; not just between two men, but a yearning for home.

The story spans decades, following the story of Iván and Gerardo, who meet as young men in Puebla, Mexico, and fall in love.

Iván (Armando Espitia), who works as a dishwasher, dreams of being a chef. Gerardo (Christian Vazquez) is a teacher who feels restless and unfulfilled.

Being gay in 1990s Mexico is dangerous; both men keep their sexual identity hidden from their families because of the shame it would bring their loved ones. Also, anti-gay sentiment runs high in a nation built on masculine machismo.

Iván, who has a young son, realizes his life is limited in Mexico, decides to cross into the United States, knowing that he is leaving behind the two people he loves the most, his son and Gerardo.

Most of “I Carry You with Me” is told in flashback as Iván looks back on his life and the choices he has made.

Director-writer Heidi Ewing details the isolation, loneliness and trauma of the immigration experience, and the toll it takes on Iván, even after Gerardo also crosses into the United States illegally to join his lover.

Despite eventually becoming a success and following his heart’s desire, Iván remains conflicted. He misses his son who authorities will not allow to visit the U.S., and the shadow of deportation continually hangs over his head as well as that of Gerardo.

The movie is slow going; Ewing lingers too long during a few sequences, and her continual jumping back and forth in time becomes somewhat distracting. Plus, the film seems to be told in snatches, which leaves some gaps in the evolution of Iván and Gerardo.

“I Carry You with Me” is more an emotional journey with an irony not lost on the viewer. After years of struggling to forge a career in America, Iván begins to feel homesick, yearning to see the son he left 20 years earlier, smell the flowers and enjoy the colors of his native land.

The trauma of immigration — be it legal or illegal — hangs over the movie. Despite his love for Gerardo, he feels guilty for abandoning his son, his parents and his friends. A void and loneliness fills Iván’s soul, with the pull of home always tugging at him.

A sense of heartbreak hovers over “I Carry You with Me,” one that seems to encapsulate the experience of many who left their native lands to begin a new life elsewhere and overcame the many obstacles placed in their paths.

Yet, “I Carry You with Me” evokes many feelings — most notably admiration and sorrow — for those who fulfilled their aspirations and the heavy prices paid to achieve them.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

I CARRY YOU WITH ME
3 stars out of 4
(R), language, sexual situations, brief nudity