The first part of this film is fairly routine - a young Spanish immigrant to New York without legal status is struggling to make ends meet in a series of dead end jobs like babysitting and dressing up in a chicken costume to promote a fast food shop.
Her friend Olga then invites her to a well paid job and THAT is where the movie takes an unexpected turn. The twist is clever and the tension is suddenly racked up. I should point out that this denouement is not entirely original - a film with a very similar twist came out several years ago, although I won't it spoil things for future viewers by naming it!
That said, if you want to be surprised by a well made indie movie, this is certainly one to watch.
If you like offbeat indie films the type director Jim Jarmusch makes, you probably might enjoy this film too. A common theme in Jarmusch's films, is that of the immigrant or foreigner in the US. Most Beautiful Island is similar about a Spanish lady with a tragic past in New York trying to make some money. A friend gives her a chance, but she ends up in a weird Eyes Wide Shut situation. To describe this would be a big spoiler, but a hint is that it involves a contrast between something that looks beautiful against something that is ugly, creepy, and frightening.
This won't appeal to some, but I found it haunted me for a few days.
The synopsis struck the right chords suggesting a tale of topical concern, the struggle of disadvantaged immigrants in affluent, urban settings. Despite the indie vibe I just found this cliched, uninvolving and exploitative.