Chasing Freedom

Enough has been said about the quality of the acting in this film so I won't add to that other than to say that it doesn't bother me if an actress portraying a New Yorker under stress doesn't talk very, very very fast - I'd rather be able to understand her lines! I just wanted to say that those who think that the inhumanity of the INS service or the lack of compassion of the officers and judges was overplayed have never been inside an immigration courtroom or had any dealings with the immigration service. In that respect the film was depressingly accurate. It saddens me that in the quest to 'protect' ourselves from those without legitimate requests for asylum, we have to treat everyone so appallingly, with representation that barely passes any reasonable competency test, as if the majority of asylees haven't suffered enough. Asylum seekers have, more often than not, barely escaped from their countries with their lives and the clothes on their back and they get treated like criminals. Some would say that it's shameful.

I'm just sorry that this film didn't make theatres and isn't required viewing for the general public.

This movie was a pretty good watch. Having been in Afghanistan, and Iraq this movie brought the situation out loud and clear to my wife. She needed to see this. The movie does seek show sympathy with the persons seeking asylum and doesn't show the INS in a good light. But, the process was and is necessary. I didn't see them as evil, I would have done the same.

Look at the movie for what it was intended, a drama, and don't take it as an affront to our immigration system. If you do, you will like it.

Libby (Juliette Lewis) is a busy corporate lawyer forced to take on more pro bono hours. She reluctantly takes on an asylum seeking Afghan woman.

Layla Alizada plays the refugee Meena who arrives pre 9-11. Then 9-11 happens. Juliette Lewis is now a veteran actress, and does a good job as the uncaring lawyer who grow to fight for this case.

This is a lower budget TV movie. It gets a bit slow at times. There is some good insightful look at Taliban regime, and the difficulties of the asylum system. It's nice to see Juliette Lewis doing good work, and not just the usual flaky characters.

This was a fictionalized, but based on true events, account of a hard edged young corporate lawyer (Juliette Lewis, very good in an atypical role) taking the responsibility to defend an asylum seeker from Afghanistan. Movies like this at times too often focus on the star, but there are enough scenes about the asylum seeker's life back in Afghanistan and struggles in detention that it was overall a balanced account. The newcomer playing the asylum seeker was not very expressive at times, but was very good too.

A touching, heartfelt movie that has a predictable message, but is well put together and not just your average movie of the week sort of movie. We even have some sympathy for the government, in theory one of the heavies of the movie, suggesting the balance provided. The Taliban doesn't come off well though ... no shock there! For instance, a major plot point is the need for proof of identity, which on its face doesn't really seem to be that unjust for the government to be concerned about. Court TV did a good job with this one.

Layla Alizada plays an Afgan who seeks to escape the clutches of the Taliban before the 9-11 terrorist attacks. She crosses the Afgan/Pakistan border, and flies to the USA. She arrives at the JFK airport and seeks political asylum without having a passport, entry visa, money, or any local contacts. If a federal judge orders her deported, it will mean certain death. Juliette Lewis plays a major league hot shot corporate lawyer who takes the case pro bono as a favor to her boss.

CHASING FREEDOM has many shining points. Although filmed in Canada, the Afgan scenes have high realism. The dramatic music sets the right tone but does not overpower. Layla Alizada does fine in her first major role. The entire film hinges upon the audience caring about Layla Alizada's character. Fortunately, the film succeeds in accomplishing this.

Unfortunately, Juliette Lewis is miscast. She does not have the gravitas to play a major league New York City lawyer. Also, emotional, stressed out New Yorkers speak very, very, very quickly. Juliette Lewis invariably speaks very slow. She never speaks fast no matter what urgent matter confronts her character. The courtroom scenes are the weakest moments of the film.

CHASING FREEDOM mistakenly regards the 9-11 terrorists as if they were Afgans, when in fact they were really Saudi nationals. However, CHASING FREEDOM does well to capture some of the brutality of the Taliban towards Afgan women. CHASING FREEDOM was produced by the COURT TV network. It is a barely passable view, which makes it above average for the made-for-TV genre.