Burn Country

I love weird , interesting 'indie' films that most people dislike but this was a real mess. I went in with an open mind, and little to no expectations and ending up getting nothing out of this. I even read several explanations of what the film meant, what it portrayed but felt completely clueless to why anyone would want to watch this. Bizarre and disconnected

Imagine you, a journalist, were kicked out of your country to seek asylum seeker in a land that you know nothing about. What you do know has been told to you by an American journalist that you became friendly with from your time as war correspondent in your own country, Afghanistan. Now, you are staying with your journalist friend's mother, who happens to be a sheriff in Burn County, everything is new, you speak English, but you aren't aware of customs or mores in you new country, folks you meet are friendly but strange, but you go on a ride along with the sheriff, while she breaks up a family disturbance between husband and his wife, you watch, then pull the husband back when he goes for the wife while she is screaming at him. The fight ends, you go back to your new home. Next day you are out and the husband happens upon you, picks you up, you become new friends. Still, as a newcomer, you know nobody, really, not even the mother of your friend. Many of these instances you happen to be privy to, makes no sense to you, it's not anything you have run into in your own country, but that's totally understandable. This movie is a portrait of what newcomers might see when they come to parts of America. Often what seems to be the usual behavior, and/or business as usual, seems totally bizarre to others. I believe that they told the story beautifully, from the POV of the newcomer and the often confusing manner that some folks in America live.

Difficult if you've seen Borat (2006) not to draw obvious comparisons, despite "Burn Country" being a human drama, profound yet also somewhat entertaining.

The character, Osman, (played by Dominic Rains) has arrived fresh from Afghanistan into small-town California, a romantic terrain of rolling mists, deserted beaches, Sequoia trees and American homesteads inhabited, it seems exclusively by white rednecks and new-age hippies.

The refugee-Afghan interpreter, journalist and "fixer" intent on using journalism in his new life sports a mustache and stubble, together with more than a touch of that endearing, unpredictable, quirky nature that got Sacha Baron-Cohen's "Borat" in such trouble with his critics. The obvious nature of Osman's recent violent war- torn past, however that led him to seek asylum on the US is reflected in events that unfold during the not-so-innocent Afghan journalist's familiarization with American backwoods life – inhabited by a community whose tribal "answers" to the problems of their often violent way of living sometimes rivals even Osman's birthplace, continents away, supposedly proving that we are, under the skin not so different from one another.

Osman, at one point purports his reason for coming to America being not the danger, but because he: "got the idea stuck in his head that life started somewhere else……. like you had to get out to have a chance of really living.."

Since the justification for the journalist's asylum in America is never in doubt (with him unable to return home), the depiction of small- town America here ought make Americans feel rightly proud for welcoming a stranger so unconditionally into their close-knit tribe. Burn Country does, in a sense accentuate the need for community over city, notwithstanding its incredibly "fuzzy" attitude towards the dispensing law and order - the positive message from this movie being the power of Human Nature to eventually triumph over personal differences and other adversities.

This film tells the story of an Afghan journalist, who is granted political asylum in the United States of America. He settles in a small town, living with the local policewoman. As he begins his new life and start to forge connections with others, he finds himself unknowingly in much danger.

The film has nice cinematography and lighting, but unfortunately that is about it. The story is rather poorly told, as things are not clearly explained. The relationship between Osman and the policewoman is quite confusing, as I clearly heard Osman calling the policewoman "mum" on two occasions. It is also hard to understand why Osman acted so irresponsibly, walking into danger when it is very apparent that some people are not to be messed with. Osman's persistent belief of Lindsay needing him is beyond me either, as Lindsay made no such statement, and there is no evidence to make Osman believe in that. The final scenes that happen in a weird commune is very confusing, and makes little sense. I do not understand the story at all.

Most stupid, Insignificant.mlvie ever. Made absolutely no sense. Story line was ridiculous. Anyone who rated this movie anywhere near good is just pretending to be deep.