The Good Lie

This can be a touching and humorous movie, which has the rare ability to transfer thematic elements from the harrowing and horrific to sugary sweet humor, all in one film. It centers around a group of young Sudanese refugees living in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, in Kenya, who are selected after 13 years at the camp to participate in a relocation program to America, which became known at the time as the "Lost Boys of Sudan". Actually, they will be sponsored and under the auspices of the Faith Based Charities organization once they arrive in the U.S.A..

The first part of the movie can be difficult to watch, as it depicts the horrors of the Sudanese Civil War, and how these surviving children saw their families killed by invading troops. Also, how they trekked nearly 900 miles across the sub-Sahara, under the most dangerous and difficult conditions to reach the Kakuma Camp. The remainder of the film depicts the culture shock awaiting them in Kansas City as they relocate to America.

Reese Witherspoon is superb, as usual, as Carrie Davis, an employment counselor assigned to help the new arrivals find local jobs as soon as possible, but who will also become more involved in their well being. Corey Stoll and Sarah Baker also add well to the mix in supporting roles.

The group of young Sudanese that the film focuses on, are all either actual refugees from the camp, some being child soldiers at one point, or direct descendants of refugees in the camp. Their performances are terrific and there's lots of deadpan humor that emerges from their characters. The group includes Arnold Oceng, as Mamere, Ger Duany, as Jeremiah, Emmanuel Jal, as Paul, and Kuoth Weil, as Abital.

The film was directed by Canadian filmmaker Philippe Falardeau (Monsieur Lazhar), and written by Margaret Nagle.

By the way, there is a well presented documentary on this exact subject called "Lost Boys of Sudan", which I viewed in the last year or so, that you may want to check out.

In summary, I thought this movie had heart and was able to illustrate the ravages of war, but then show what can happen when people are given a second chance in life.

A beautiful movie, taken out of the pages of recent events. The inspiring and true story of the "The Lost Boys" trekking hundreds of miles across Africa to save their lives. The photography of the African scenes is great. A story of dedication, loyalty and the deepest meaning of family and friendship. It is well acted, engaging, and funny as well as surprising. While dancing at the edge of some clichés, it manages to stay fresh. The ending really took me by surprise. Sadly the movie is still very relevant. There is a continuing genocide in Sudan and part of the intent of the movie is to raise awareness about what is happening right now, it is succeeds in doing that, it will have done what few movies do: it might save lives.

THE GOOD LIE was only seen in theaters for a brief time back in October, but it has left a lasting impression on me. There are few movies that have a heart like this one. And don't let the advertising mislead you: Reese Witherspoon has a supporting role and doesn't even appear in its first half hour. This story is one of uplift in the face of incredible odds. Its cast of virtual unknowns are superb. And all four of the young African actors are themselves refugees or children of refugees and their ability to relate to the experience allows for a kind of acting you don't see in your average film. I can't wait for it to be available for download or on a DVD. I intend to have friends over to watch it and see for themselves what a really good movie is all about.

This is one of those films that I wish they had made 20 years ago when this project began. I knew about the "lost boys" because I saw something about them on the television show 7th Heaven. It is really a sad state of affairs when you have to find out about the relocation on Sudanese refugees to the United States from a TV show (smh). The story begins with the back story of a group of children that survive a brutal attack on their village by rebel soldiers. The understanding of the back story is essential in order to understand the title of the film. The children spend many years in a refugee camp until one day the group is informed that they will be relocated to America, which is all they have ever wanted. Mamere (Arnold Oceng), Jeremiah (Ger Duang), Paul (Emmanuel Jal) and Abital (Kuoth Wiel) all arrive in the U.S. together only to find out that Abital is going to a different state. A lot of the film centers around trying to get everyone back together. Once the men get settled in, there is a bit of brevity just because there are a lot of things that we take for granted that these folks have no idea what their use is. It also demonstrated how ill-informed Americans were to the culture that these men came from. I do have to say that the Americans that were portrayed in this film all had good hearts (for the most part) and it was refreshing to see a film that showcased that level of generosity. Carrie (Reese Witherspoon) is responsible for finding employment for the lost boys and eventually becomes entangled in their lives and their pursuit to reunite with their sister. I have to say that when this film was over I had a new found respect for anyone who comes to America to escape the horrors of war. The lost boys that came to this country did not have it easy although once they got here they took full advantage of the opportunities that this country offers. I think that much too often we all tend to forget that. There has already been some Oscar buzz around this film; I'm not sure that I agree, but I think that it is a story worth telling (especially for our younger generation). Even if you don't make it to the theater, I urge you to put it on you "must rent" list.

This movie is based on true events and plays on the audiences emotions on every level. It tells a tale of brother-sisterhood, love, friendships, and dedication to family. Most importantly, it shows the extremes of humanity...how we as human beings can be so cruel but yet be so kind and caring. And as dramatic a movie as this was, there were several humorous points to ease the tensions of what this movie was really about. Also, just when you're thinking you're watching a movie starring Reese Witherspoon, the accompanying cast of Sudanese refugees steal the show. Great story, great directing, great cast, and great acting all around.

'A Good Lie" was possibly the best movie at TIFF this year.