Review of The Good Lie (2014) by Patrick L — 01 Apr 2015

"The Good Lie does follow the path to "The Blind Side" but it is moving and well-acted".

Movie Review: The Good Lie.

Date Viewed: October 28 2014.

Directed By Philippe Falardeau (Monsieur Lazhar).

Written By Margaret Nagle.

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Arnold Oceng,.

Emmanuel Jai, Ger Duany, Corey Stoll, Sarah Baker, Thad Luckinbill, Kuoth Wiel,.

Sharon Conley, Okwar Jale and Mike Pniewski.

Oscar Winner Reese Witherspoon does get top-billing in "The Good Lie" but she's not playing the main character in the movie. "The Good Lie" focuses on four young refugees from Sudan known as "The Lost Boys of Sudan". Yes, this movie is based on real-life events and it follows the path to "The Blind Side" but it works thanks in part to strong performances from the Sudanese actors and Witherspoon.

"The Good Lie" begins in 1983 where the brutal civil war in Sudan has killed roughly two million people. It focuses on the lost boys as young kids on the run from militias. One of them Theo (Okwar Jale) makes the ultimate sacrifice by turning himself in to the Sudanese soldiers in order to save the others. Mamere is declared chief of the lost boys and they finally make it to the refugee camp. Several years later, they finally get a chance to go to the United States and get real jobs. Mamere (Arnold Oceng), Paul (Emmanuel Jai) and Jeremiah (Ger Duany) are assigned to live in Kansas City but their sister Abital (Kuoth Wiel) is assigned to live in Boston. Mamere vows to her that they will be together again.

When Mamere, Paul and Jeremiah arrive in Kansas City, they meet Carrie Davis (Witherspoon), an employment counselor who is assigned to find jobs for them. Living in America is different and challenging for them but Carrie is touched by their story of survival and she wants to find a way to get their sister Abital to go live with them instead of living in Boston.

Quebec director Philippe Falardeau, who made the Oscar nominated "Monsieur Lazhar" and screenwriter Margaret Nagle have made an earnest and heartwarming movie that is well-acted and strongly told.

Sure, many people will compare this movie to "The Blind Side" but it is still worth seeing.