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.
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cattjones6 October 2014
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larrys34 January 2015This 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. -
keltripp2 October 2014I was invited to a screening of this movie and wasn't sure what to expect. The only thing I had heard was a bit of Oscar buzz concerning Reese Witherspoon.
I found the movie very interesting and moving, comical at times, yet sad as well. I was moved to tears multiple times at just the thought of what these children to adults had to endure. For her part, I didn't feel that Witherspoon did much in depth acting at all, much less an Oscar worthy performance. The real emotion was depicted by the Sudanese actors. They are the ones who deserve an award.
I was left wanting more, as some parts of the story were not fully told. Overall, a very good movie and worth seeing. -
I literally just got home from the movie right now and this is the very first thing I do. Rate 10 and write this review.
The movie premiered today in my country, Cambodia. And guess how many people had show up??? 1. It was me.... Lol. I honestly sit the entire movie theatre alone. Yes, I am a horror films fan and that creep me out very much. However, this is the very good opportunity for me to enjoy the film alone without those annoying cinema's rat people. I can laugh, cry loudly without worrying nobody. My country's people is not a drama fan... They probably squeezing each other at the comedy's and action's section.
Oh right.... the film is a masterpiece. The storyline and scenery, the cast and everything about the film is just wonderful. It's like one of the most beautiful film I have ever seen since Blackswan. This film should win an Oscar just for its existing. The storyline was beautiful. And the fact that it is real made me cry even more. At the beginning of the film it was so so touching and sad, and then it made me laugh somewhere in the middle, and it ended with me crying like a baby alone in the theatre. Like literally. The cast performance is wonderful. They should probably need to win some awards or i'll hate everyone.
The film ended, and I walk out alone from the entire theatre, with red eyes, tear all over my face and every single cinema's employees stare at me like what wrong with this guy LOL. And I drove home thinking about the movie and cry some more. And yes, just like after Blackswan, it took me at least a few hours for me to recover from the film's effects. -
sanderllc8 September 2014The 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. -
Some years ago I saw a documentary on the subject, but this movie is a fictional story inspired by the real events. In fact its content was run by real survivors of the Sudan wars of the 1980s to make sure everything was realistic.
The title is from "Huck Finn" and we encounter it three times, it means a lie which is appropriate for the good of someone else, maybe even to save their life.
The story starts in the 1980s and we see how whole villages were wiped out by gunfire and burning. In this tale three brothers and their sister in South Sudan manage to run away and survive, then head East towards Ethiopia where they had been told they could get refuge and food. The only transportation for most Sudanese was walking so they thought nothing of making such a trip of several hundred miles, and with little food or fresh water.
They eventually meet up with many others headed south to Kenya so they joined them. Their fate was a refugee camp where they could get food, medical care, and safety, but many of them stayed there for years, some never leaving this refugee camp.
This movie concerns the three brothers and their sister who received the opportunity to travel to the USA where they would find work and integrate themselves into society. But there was a problem, they had to separate the boys, headed for Kansas City, from their sister headed for Boston, because of the availability of foster homes.
So that is the main story here, their relocation to a land of strange customs. They are assigned to Reese Witherspoon as Carrie who would help them find jobs. As she realized how far they had to go in this new environment she became much more involved and eventually to try to reunite the boys with their sister.
This is a very good movie and brings home the big issue of internal strife and displacement, not only in South Sudan but in many countries all over the world. Aside from Reese, many of the actors were either men who had actually been young boys in South Sudan or men whose parents were. -
shawneofthedead27 October 2014As children, many of us were taught that lying is bad - that, in any given situation, it's always better to be honest. Of course, growing up has shown us that this childhood dictum doesn't always hold true. As The Good Lie takes pains to explain, there are moments when a lie has positive consequences that outweigh the telling of it. In fact, there's just such a lie embedded in the marketing campaign for Philippe Falardeau's earnest if occasionally overwrought film: that Reese Witherspoon is the star and central character of the movie. Witherspoon's name and pretty face on the poster will, of course, bring in audiences, but she's really not the main attraction here. Instead, her top billing for the film will bring attention to the far worthier and more riveting story of the Lost Boys of Sudan, refugees to America from a land brutally torn apart by civil war.
The lives of the children of Sudan are fraught with dangers and horrors - before the age of twelve, they endure war, famine, death and deprivation, with only the faint prospect of leaving their country to start afresh somewhere new. Mamere (Arnold Oceng), with his sister Abital (Kuoth Wiel) and brothers-in-arms Jeremiah (Ger Duany) and Paul (Emmanuel Jal), gets that chance - but only after losing too much of his innocence and blood to a battle he should never have had to fight. The promise of a new home and freedom, however, come neither freely nor easily. Mamere is helpless to prevent the bureaucracy of the system from taking his sister to another state in America, and culture shock lingers in every corner and around every turn.
It's easy to see why Falardeau was asked to make his English- language debut with The Good Lie. His previous effort, the bittersweet Monsieur Lazhar, dealt impressively with issues of displacement, loss and identity, and won him an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in the process. Falardeau displays the same sensitivity with the quartet at the heart of his latest film, giving each character a personality and heart beyond the labels and paperwork more easily affixed to them. He understands the irony facing these young men: the notion that they've lived through guns and hunger, only to be flummoxed by bureaucrats and capitalism.
The film could easily have tipped over into a self-congratulatory farce, painting Carrie Davis (Witherspoon) - the boys' employment agent - as the pretty white-girl saviour of these savages from the third world. But Falardeau instead teases out the myriad ways in which their new lives are better, but also possibly worse than, what they left behind. He finds these tragic contradictions in the wide-eyed manner in which they respond to their new homeland: the way Jeremiah revolts at the casual, easy wastage of produce in the supermarket where he stocks the shelves, and the manner in which these boys simply cannot believe that Carrie is genuinely taking care of herself with neither father, husband, brother nor son on hand.
Coupled with the very good work done by Falardeau's young cast (especially Oceng and Wiel), it becomes almost easy to overlook The Good Lie's relatively predictable script by Margaret Nagle. There are a few hard-hitting moments, particularly when Mamere struggles beneath the weight of guilt that comes with being alive because others close to him have died, but no real surprises. It's no doubt a film that deals with painful, difficult issues and politics, but it does so in such an earnest way that it winds up feeling safe and comfortable. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but it does mean that the fairly optimistic fiction of the film winds up being all too easily separated from the far gloomier facts of the matter.
That being said, if what you'd prefer is a grittier, less starry- eyed version of events, there are documentaries - such as Lost Boys Of Sudan - which touch on the same issues and history with less of the Hollywood gloss and sparkle. Anyone watching The Good Lie should expect a sweeter, more predictable story, albeit one which also manages to find the sad, sobering truth to the prejudices and politics faced by these young men and women everyday. -
lieblingm8 September 2014A 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.
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Thanos_Alfie3 February 2016"The Good Lie" is a drama movie in which we watch the fight of Sudanese to survive in the start and after how they resettle in America. Especially this movie focuses on a group of Sudanese refugees who arrive in Kansas City, Missouri for a new start.
I liked this movie because it is based on true facts and because it shows us what difficulties and obstacles had to pass all these people in order to just feel safe. I liked very much the cinematography of this movie and also the direction of it, which made by Philippe Falardeau. Another thing that it has to be mentioned is the difference between the western culture and the African, and how simple and more beautiful can be your life without having all these conveniences that we have nowadays. I have also to admit that the interpretation of Reese Witherspoon was very good. Equally good was also the interpretation of Arnold Oceng who played a Sudanese refuge called Mamere.
Finally I believe that "The Good Lie" is a very good movie and worth watching because it is a lesson of life. This movie can make you understand very good how some people are very lucky in life without knowing it. -
chungs6921 September 2014This 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. -
hragj-156-48944015 December 2014Every RELEVANT character in this movie did a sensational job! the only down side was throwing Reese Witherspoon in this complex situation. The whole time I'm trying to enjoy the story and the struggle of these incredible characters and the only thing i saw out of Witherspoon is that she is completely out of her element and deep down she knows it. If this movie is to get any Oscar recognition...Reese will be it's only downside! That being said.... Learn some editing techniques and cut out all scenes with Witherspoon and it will still make sense and add more credibility to the film. Finally i need to decide who to blame...the writer (i doubt it) the directer (unlikely) the producers and studios??!! enough said.
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haberville30 November 2014THE 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.
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bbickley13-921-5866424 October 2014It hits all the right emotions as we watch a group of children survive the worse possible upbringing together as a surrogate family and come to America, a place far different than the one they came from. They adapt to the new environment as they try to keep their family together.
That was the corner stone of the movie. Watching this family struggle to find a better place with each other with a little help from Reese Witherspoon who used her super stardom to get the movie released theatrically, Thanks Reese.
It was hilarious watching the kids from Sudan try to understand America. sometimes you forget what a different world we leave in than other places. A lot of movies will try to use darkness to show us this point but the brightness of this film does it just fine.
Nothing like a good uplifting story to bring a tear to your eyes. If you like happy tears than this is a good one. -
makiavelli4ever24 January 2015This movie had so much potential, but a series of stereotypes ruined it. When one of the characters says, "I heard something new today. It's called a joke" I rolled my eye for the 100th time (because of course they don't have jokes in Africa). Or "they won't care; they're from Africa!" I'm pretty sure that whoever wrote the screenplay googled "African Stereotypes," and worked it into the script. If you can get past this nonsense, the story is pretty good. You get to see how difficult it may be for someone to try and acclimate to a new culture. I also think Reese Witherspoon has come a long way from her Legally Blonde days and has been embracing these more complex roles!
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amal-72 December 2014We saw this movie on the spur of the moment while vacationing in Tel Aviv. I was worried it would be a hokey version of "The Blindside," where the focus of the story is on a white woman helping some underprivileged people of color, but instead it was a captivating, beautifully written story that was both authentic and deeply moving. The film skillfully portrays the enormous difficulty facing the Lost Boys of Sudan as they try to adapt to America while absorbing the unbearable trauma of their childhoods. Reese Witherspoon was a delight, and was surprisingly restrained -- the movie was not all about her. The acting was superb, performed by Sudanese who did a remarkably good job. The writers did a great job of not allowing this story to wander off in to mawkishness or sentimentality. There is no attempt to tie it all up in a neat bundle, yet it's ultimately uplifting. It's a great film that I have continually recommended to friends.
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sean-83022 September 2014The story, script, acting, directing and cinematography are all first class - a must see film for sure. This film highlights a serious issue with a lot of heart, humor and great story telling. Reese Witherspoon was amazing, maybe her best performance of her career. The cinematography was amazing, you could freeze frame most shots and the photograph would be worthy of displaying at a museum. The best part is the unbelievable story, which was inspired by true stories about the lost boys of Sudan. I highly recommend this movie, it is a film that will inspire and challenge you and you will remember it for a very long time.
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mikayakatnt13 January 2020A feel-good film based on a true story. Some timelines were condensed and half-assed, but I guess you need to make a film somehow.
3/5. Some parts felt a bit slow but I did enjoy. -
christineporter215 August 2018I'd never heard of this movie until it showed up on premium cable TV. I'm so glad it did, but wish it had gained the respect and popularity it so deserved. The young men and woman actors captured the despair, fear, and hopefulness of what the young refugees must have experienced perfectly. The one scene in this movie that touched my heart more than any in this, or any other movie, was the one where the orphans are settling into thier new home on the first night. It is just getting dark and you can see the worry on thier faces. I myself have been in a new place/situation many times in my own life. This scene reminded me vividly of what I'd almost forgotten. I remembered being in a new place, lying there as it was just getting dark, and feeling so afraid and longing for people and places I loved. No matter how happy one might be to be in a new place, that fear and longing are such a strong feeling. I thought Reese, though a good actress overall, over-acted a bit in this film. Her dialog AND her delivery, were a bit too trite. Doesn't take away from the movie though. I highly recommend it to everyone.
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ThomasDrufke14 January 2015When you think of the most moving and emotional stories ever put on screen, The Good Lie may not come to mind. But it really is an unforgettable journey into the lives of Sudan refugees and their many obstacles not only into survival, but once they reach America how they interact with an unknown world.
The film starts off by telling the story of the refugees as kids. I was originally skeptical because it's always incredibly difficult to find child actors who are suitable for the big screen. The kids were fine, but it was when the characters grew older that we really started to care about them. Finding out during the credits that most of the lead actors and actresses were actual refugees made it that much more special. They do a great job of portraying that difficult but grateful transition to a new life. There are even several comedic moments when these men and women are put in places and situations that they have never heard of even existing.
I was also pleased with Reese Witherspoons performance. Even though her face is all over the cover, she didn't outshine any of the films lead characters. Her fame didn't force the filmmakers to give her more to do or more to say. I think her character arc may have seemed a bit forced and unnecessary but it didn't change the films quality. It's an emotional ride that is led with surprising great lead performances and I recommend it to all.
+Lead performances
+Using surviving refugees
+Isn't Hollywood-ized
-Forced supporting character arc
7.7/10 -
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. -
garyalanyoung28 December 2014This film is a touching story of an African family experience of America that captivated me right from the start. The acting was decent although amateurish at times. I easily connected with all the characters, and would have loved if the film went deeper into their personal stories.
I felt that the problems confronted by those concern were sensitively portrayed without any obvious finger-pointing. However, at the end I felt the story could have been cinematically produced in a more dramatic way. Despite this shortcoming, it was still a wonderful touching story about the importance of human values that binds us all. -
nkiflemar20 October 2014I loved this movie and having been in Sudan during the civil war, I can tell you that the director here did his homework. It was definitely that harsh and awful and anyone who thinks it was just propaganda, go see for yourself; some of it is still happening! Reese was good in it, but the whole show was the Sudanese actors who did a fabulous job of acting and brought so much of it to life. It brought me back to Africa where I lived for over 3 years, seeing the good, the bad and the ugly of the place, but I always appreciated the genuine loyalty, pride and love for one's family and country. I found nothing superficial with the folks I lived among and with...it was always heartfelt. I remember them warmly to this day and was so excited to be transported back for a bit. Oscar please!
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I caught this good little drama off HBO GO a few nights ago, and it reminded me of a documentary I had seen a few years ago called "God Grew Tired Of Us: The Lost Boys of Sudan". Oscar winner, Reese Witherspoon gets top billing in this story about a group of Sudanese refugees given the chance to resettle in America. They arrive in Kansas City, Missouri, where their encounter with an employment agency counselor (Witherspoon) forever changes all of their lives. Both films pretty much cover the same story and are similar in theme and overall texture.
It's powerful how these refugees react to situations here in the USA we take for granted. For instance, one of them is working at a grocery store, and their manager orders them to throw out some food that has expired- nothing of which is wrong with it other than it's past it's legal expiration date.
And even though she's good in the role, I can't help wonder if Reese's role was beefed up a little to give the movie a little more box office potential?? She got top billing of course, but her character had 40 minutes of screen time. Well, anyway, good little movie- good performances especially from it's principle leads- Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, and Emmanuel Jal. And I would encourage also checking out "God Grew Tired Of Us" sometime. Corey Stoll also stars. -
Just a heap of common places, clichés and overall unrealistic depiction of southern Sudanese people, Africans in general. I confidently watched the movie seeing all these good reviews but could not really even watch it all. I am unsure if anyone who has liked this has ever lived in Africa. and I can't believe people would believe African are so naive and aloof.
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We were looking for a movie for the family to watch tonight (my wife and I and our 14 year old daughter), and as we browsed the titles and ruled out the cartoons and the R rated movies, we stumbled upon this title, and seeing Reese as an actress helped sway us to rent this tonight on a total lark.
Outstanding movie, maybe one of the best I've seen. Very powerful, very emotional. We loved it.
I have never posted a rating in my life on any movie until moved to do so tonight.
Thanks