review for Across the Line on AllMovie

One imagines that lead actress Sigal Erez wrote Across the Line's screenplay as a showcase for her talent. After all, how many challenging roles are there for Hispanic women in American cinema? As it happens, both of her skills -- acting and writing -- are on impressive display in this little-seen, modern-day Western. Beginning with the believable decision to smuggle herself into the States -- a family-ripping dramatic climax many films would have been happy to end with -- to the very clever twist near the end as the main villain is exposed, Across the Line belies its indie origins and overcomes genre shortcomings with ample amounts of authenticity; Erez never compromises the integrity of her character in telling a story that could have been -- very, very easily -- just another B-movie shoot-'em-up. Brad Johnson's square jaw and sincere cowboy persona work well with Erez's hesitant immigrant, who is understandably nervous at every turn until she finds someone she can trust. The pace of the middle third is clumsy, significantly enough that it could lose viewers expecting something more predictable, but for a first effort, Across the Line comes across very well.