Despite its ambitious combination of murder mystery and cautionary immigration tale, Motherland doesn't quite hold together, lacking both the fuel to reach a rolling, procedural boil and the intimacy to simmer with emotion.
Part murder mystery, part dysfunctional family drama and part meditation on the elusiveness of the American dream, Motherland doesn't fully succeed on any of its levels.
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San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
Filmmaker Doris Yeung tries to mix a whodunit with a story of explosive family dynamics, but the effort succumbs to a weak script and a one-note lead performance.