Review of The Good Lie (2014) by Thedrauch — 19 Dec 2014

One of the more underrated wide release films of 2014, The Good Lie retains some of the power that lies in the true story upon which it is based, in spite of the sometimes glossy Hollywood approach through which it is framed.

The use of real actors that were once child soldiers of Sudan themselves adds an undeniable authenticity to the performances of the four central characters. While far from a starkly realistic portrait of the enduring atrocities that I'm sure still plague Sudan, The Good Lie is still competently made and gets it's point across quite well.

The inclusion of noteworthy actors, like Reese Witherspoon and Corey Stoll, while each delivering fine performances, creates an initially jarring effect and distracts until we become used to the characters later on in the picture.

Some of the conflicts during the mid-section of the film can seem more slight than others when contrasted with The Good Lie's engaging first act. The bickering between Paul and Mamere is one of the lesser aspects that the film devotes it's time to.

There is also an overall feel throughout that we aren't getting a view of the whole, horrific picture. To account for this could be the accommodating tone that often usurps The Good Lie's possible heft.

One of the positive aspects that arises from this light touch is how surprisingly funny the film can be. Not every gag works, but the 'Coming to America' style of culture-clash humor feels natural and prevents The Good Lie from being overbearingly solemn.

One sizable flaw I had was that the final solution to the brothers' problem, from which The Good Lie derives it's title, doesn't feel manipulative, but distractingly unfeasible, or, if this was the real conclusion to the true-to-life story, framed in a rush that undercuts it's dramatic and socio-political potential.

All-in-all, The Good Lie makes for some surprisingly effective Hollywood drama, featuring some relative unknowns giving impressively authentic performances. It reminds me faintly of the 2011 drama "A Better Life", a film that also left an impact and showed depths of human emotion in spite of the sometimes treacly approach to the story.