It's not often we're treated to special story telling such as this. Producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (among others) have brought together a strong band of talent to give us a filmic treat. Actress turned Emmy Award winning writer, Margaret Nagle spent years honing her above-average script for this interesting fact-based film.
More remarkable are the performances of some of the Sudanese cast members (including the juniors), whose own life experiences reflect the difficulty of survival, against deadly odds in this war-torn nation. These performances are sincere reflections of their own extremely difficult journeys to attempt resettlement in the USA. Some will make it, many wont. On arrival in America they're greeted with yet another traumatic experience - how to integrate into a culture that's peopled by those who have little knowledge of your past horrific living conditions and where 'plenty' has become a rarely appreciated element of daily life. Culture shock in the extreme!. Some maybe too cynical to accept certain situations within this productions artificial interpretation of reality, but the writers have clearly attempted to uphold enough integrity to allow most viewers a genuine understanding of what those less fortunate have to endure.
British born Ugandan actor Arnold Oceng shows how essential good casting is for bringing life and commitment to a production of this stature. As mentioned, the Sudanese performers are superb. Ger Duany as Jeremiah, brings personal emotional power to his character, as does Emmanuel Jal. Both these men are ex-boy soldiers with many ugly real life memories between them. Kuoth Wiel as the sister who is separated from her only remaining family, imparts genuine warmth to her role.
Canadian director and winner of various awards Philippe Falardeau guides his sterling cast with knowing skill and just when you feel he's slipping into the realm of cliché, manages to come back on track. Fellow Canadian Director of Photography Ronald Plante, turns in his usual award nominated visual power - even his hand held shots have a smooth quality that never detract from the above average storytelling - while Composer Martin Leon adds nicely to the poetic feel of this harrowing, gentle, and at times humorous experience. It's also good to see talented Reese Witherspoon putting her name to a relatively background role in this uncommon work. This movie's recommended to those tired of the sometimes jaded run-of-the-mill commercial movie fare. No over-the-top Academy Award fanfares here, this one stands on its own simple strength.
More remarkable are the performances of some of the Sudanese cast members (including the juniors), whose own life experiences reflect the difficulty of survival, against deadly odds in this war-torn nation. These performances are sincere reflections of their own extremely difficult journeys to attempt resettlement in the USA. Some will make it, many wont. On arrival in America they're greeted with yet another traumatic experience - how to integrate into a culture that's peopled by those who have little knowledge of your past horrific living conditions and where 'plenty' has become a rarely appreciated element of daily life. Culture shock in the extreme!. Some maybe too cynical to accept certain situations within this productions artificial interpretation of reality, but the writers have clearly attempted to uphold enough integrity to allow most viewers a genuine understanding of what those less fortunate have to endure.
British born Ugandan actor Arnold Oceng shows how essential good casting is for bringing life and commitment to a production of this stature. As mentioned, the Sudanese performers are superb. Ger Duany as Jeremiah, brings personal emotional power to his character, as does Emmanuel Jal. Both these men are ex-boy soldiers with many ugly real life memories between them. Kuoth Wiel as the sister who is separated from her only remaining family, imparts genuine warmth to her role.
Canadian director and winner of various awards Philippe Falardeau guides his sterling cast with knowing skill and just when you feel he's slipping into the realm of cliché, manages to come back on track. Fellow Canadian Director of Photography Ronald Plante, turns in his usual award nominated visual power - even his hand held shots have a smooth quality that never detract from the above average storytelling - while Composer Martin Leon adds nicely to the poetic feel of this harrowing, gentle, and at times humorous experience. It's also good to see talented Reese Witherspoon putting her name to a relatively background role in this uncommon work. This movie's recommended to those tired of the sometimes jaded run-of-the-mill commercial movie fare. No over-the-top Academy Award fanfares here, this one stands on its own simple strength.