Maritza Santiago Hernández, left, and Abbie Cornish in THE GIRL (Brainstorm Media)

Reminiscent of 2008’s Frozen River, another film about a financially floundering single mother taking up human trafficking, The Girl examines issues of illegal immigration and economic class through a cash-strapped American woman and a Mexican girl, juxtaposing poverty and hardships from both sides of the border.

Ashley (Abbie Cornish), a young Texan woman, fights with Child Protective Services for the custody of her five-year-old son, Georgie. She works a low-wage job at a big-box store, and in foreshadowing of Ashley’s journey throughout the film, she’s the only white woman at work and in her neighborhood. She lives in an unkempt trailer, while Georgie is being fostered by a much wealthier woman. Ashley fears that despite her efforts to pull her life together, her poverty will always be an issue for CPS.

When her father, Tommy (Will Patton), a trucker, makes a surprise visit, Ashley decides to join him for a few days across the border in Mexico, where he resides. He keeps giving her cash to help with her situation, insisting he has had a streak of luck, but as Ashley discovers on their return trip, Tommy’s money comes from the illegal immigrants he carries across the border in the back of his large truck. He insists it’s relatively safe since border patrol doesn’t have time to check most of the trucks that pass through.

Ashley is at first horrified, but she starts to consider doing the same to make extra cash. Not really aware of the dangers surrounding such an undertaking, and without a large truck or any other equipment, Ashley’s first attempt to help a group cross the river into Texas fails miserably.

While the first part of the film focuses on the politics of border crossing and Ashley’s struggle with social services, The Girl shifts tone at this point, when Ashley is left with a young girl, Rosa (Maritza Santiago Hernández), who has been separated from her mother during the crossing. Torn with feelings of responsibility, but also desperate to return to Texas in time for a court date concerning her son, Ashley has to decide how far she will go to help Rosa.

As Ashley, Cornish balances harshness with an underlying vulnerability. It always surprises me she hasn’t become a bigger star. Her performances are always solid, and she tends to subtly bring unexpected traits to her characters. In her first ever role, Santiago Hernández holds her own against Cornish. Their relationship makes the film, which starts off prickly (matching Ashley’s mood), a much more sentimental one.

The film has a little trouble balancing Ashley’s story with the bigger issues at stake as it slowly turns into a character study. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s difficult to ignore these outlying issues as Ashley struggles with her identity as a mother. Still, the fact that the film brings up the harsh reality of poverty among Americans and illegal immigrants is a bold move. The cinematography, capturing the landscapes and the towns along the U.S./Mexico border, is also noteworthy.