The Good Lie, it's a great movie about humanity and values. It's not a documentary about the civil war in Sudan. The trailer is very misguiding, letting the viewer thinking of a cliché' comedy which is not. Nor it's an informative guide about the who and why of a civil war. What I've found interesting, listening to the Q&A at the Tiff, is that the writer took ten years to build this story mixing the life real event of few Sudanese refugees. During the first part of the movie, I was expecting more blood, more extreme violence. But then, the more the movie was going, the more I understood that skipping graphic brutality was a choice, and the whole product was becoming more poetic at moments without losing that neorealism characteristic of Philippe Falardeau's work. At times, I felt like when I was watching for the first time Benigni's "Life is Beautiful" or the work of a modern De Sica. Acting wise, Whiterspoon's work is great in this movie, realistic and never overwhelming and so Corey Stoll does a great job.
But I was greatly pleased with the excellent performance of Arnold Oceng, all the Sudanese actors in the movie, all former refugees, and the stunning newbie Kuoth Wiel.
Overall, I'd suggest to bring your preteens to watch this movie: it would set an example on how family and value should never be forgotten no matter how hard life gets.
Thank you.
