The immigrant experience is given a lighter, but still meaningful touch by Canadian director Philippe Falardeau, who tackled the issue in a different manner with his Oscar-nominated film, Monsieur Lazhar. The Good Lie deals with the Sudanese "Lost Boys", refugees who fled the civil war there and mostly wound up in refugee camps with nowhere else to go. Some were fortunate enough to earn a trip to America where foster families took them in, giving them a chance for a fresh start. The events of 9/11 shuttered that program, leaving many Sudanese families broken with little hope of reunion. It's with that backdrop we're introduced to six closely-tied Sudanese children, who witness the brutal execution of much of their village and are forced to trek hundreds of miles to a nearby camp. The long, dangerous journey reduces their number to four: Mamere (Arnold Oceng), Jeremiah (Ger Duany), Paul (Emmanuel Jal) and Mamere's sister Abital (Kuoth Wiel), all of whom bear the burden of responsibility carrying on their village's legacy.
Falardeau spares us the grim reality of war, but it weighs heavily on each
character as they take part in the government's refugee program, and the
situation only gets worse when Arbital is separated from the group. While the
men are shipped off to Kansas City, Arbital is taken in by a family in Boston,
leaving everyone angry and vowing to bring her home. The sadness of their
plight would be overwhelming if the script by Margaret Nagle (Boardwalk Empire)
didn't mix in a healthy dose of culture shock humor. Having learned much of the
English language from the Bible, communication becomes a major problem. These
are people who have lived in complete isolation from modern technology,
spending much of their time trying to survive the ugliness of war, so it's not
a surprise when an airplane or fast food restaurant thrown them for a loop.
It's fairly conventional stuff told in a way that is easy to digest, a. Jello
molds are a foreign concept to them, but so too are customs around women. Enter
Witherspoon and her deep southern drawl as Carrie Davis, a sassy no-nonsense
woman who must help the guys find jobs. They can't stay in the country without
work, and Carrie throws her weight around to try and make sure it gets
done.“Who do I have to screw around here to see a goddamn immigration supervisor?” she barks, in her one moment that feels like it was torn straight from The Blind Side playbook. The others both revere her strength and pity her for being single because there may be lions out there, you know.
We know the arc of her story immediately. Within a few minutes her boss
(Corey Stoll) tells her not to get too personally involved with these Sudanese
refugees, but we already know she will. It's to the film's credit this never
becomes her personal quest for redemption or anything irritating like that.
This isn't The Blind Side or Million Dollar Arm where the minorities' stories
are marginalized or forgotten completely. Witherspoon arrives to give the film
a brassy boost when needed, and then slips easily into the background to let
the leads take center stage. Falardeau brought in actors with a personal
connection to the Sudanese crisis and that added touch makes all the
difference. Oceng gives a soulful performance as Mamere, who struggles with
survivor's guilt and the burden responsibility. Duany, who some may remember
from David O. Russell's I Heart Huckabees, is the group's quiet
stalwart, while Jal depicts the anger many of the Sudanese caught in an
unfamiliar system must have felt. Earnest and formulaic, The Good Lie is a sure bet to win over audiences looking for a feel-good story with a just enough real-world resonance.
Rating: 3 out of 5
