the m0vie blog

The Good Lie works very well.

Margaret Nagle’s script was inspired by the “lost boys” who escaped the Sudanese Civil War. These displaced refugees found themselves scattered. Some walked hundreds of miles to neighbouring countries like Ethiopia or Kenya. Some travelled even further, emigrating to countries like the United States. The Good Lie is a fascinating exploration of the lives of four such immigrants who arrive in their new home in the year 2000, finding themselves struggling to adapt to life in America. It is a subject that could easily seem exploitative or maudlin.

Packing light…

It would be easy to turn The Good Lie into a heavy-handed meditation on human suffering as explored through the eyes of these four immigrants. The poster for The Good Lie allots considerable space to actress Reese Witherspoon, and it would be easy to write the story as told from the perspective of the American characters who interact with these new arrivals. It is to the credit of Nagle’s script that The Good Lie never allows its focus to shift, that it is never distracted by the more prominent American cast members.

The Good Lie is perhaps a little bit too broad in its humour at points, and its structure occasionally feels a little contrived. However, there is a lot of warmth and affection underpinning the script, with the sense of humour helping to relieve what could easily descend into an overly solemn drama.

Leaving on a jet plane…

The Good Lie is a very commendable piece of work. There is a lot of honesty and integrity to the film, which feels very authentic. While lead actor Arnold Oceng is a Ugandan-born actor who was raised in Brixton, his two co-stars where both born and raised in Sudan. Emmanuel Jal and Ger Duany were both child soldiers before embarking on their chosen careers. The decision to give two such prominent roles to individuals who have actually lived through similar experiences demonstrates commendable commitment from the production team.

It would be very easy for The Good Lie to get lost in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience. Reese Witherspoon and Corey Stoller add some name recognition to a mostly-unknown cast. Although Witherspoon’s name is used to market the movie, the film never entirely gives itself over to her. Witherspoon and Stoller are both very firmly supporting cast members in the film. They both do great work, fleshing out supporting characters into surprisingly nuanced individuals, but The Good Lie never forgets that it is the story of four Sudanese immigrants.

Not a driving narrative force…

Witherspoon and Stollet never find themselves shoehorned into leading roles, or forced to play the hero in the same way that white cast members take the focus in other triumph-over-adversity narratives focusing on non-white characters. This is not The Blind Side or The Help or Noble. This is a film that is willing to allow its diverse cast their agency and dynamism. Mamere might require assistance in his journey, but he acts under his own initiative and makes his own decisions. Paul and Jeremiah similarly drive their own narrative arcs.

The Good Lie is occasionally just a little unfocused in its storytelling – it very clearly adheres to the three-act structure, but in a way that doesn’t necessarily feel like the developments are always organic or logical. The first act is given over to the story of how Mamere, Paul, Jeremiah and Abital survived the murder of their village during the Sudanese Civil War. It is a harrowing and effective story, one that works because it is relatively underplayed. Nagle’s script is smart enough that it can just present these horrors without resorting to exaggeration or melodrama.

Showing their range…

The second act follows the four characters as they move to the United States. The script generates a nice tension by dividing the group. It provides a nice arc to the film, allowing the narrative to divert its attention between the new arrivals while maintaining a consistent thread. Mamere is consciously trying to reunite the group, dealing with the weight of expectation bearing down on him. It is a very simple story, but one that leaves Nagle’s script with a lot of room for development and elaboration.

The Good Lie never lectures. It never feels too clumsy or over-wrought. The film draws attention to any number of important social issues, but never in a way that feels cloying or overly sentimental. Nagle’s script emphasises the “fish out of water” aspect of four Sudanese refugees arriving in a completely foreign country with no frame of reference for their new experiences. The culture shock comedy can occasionally feel a little too broad and generic, but it does diffuse a lot of the weight of a narrative like this.

Quite a switch…

It helps that Arnold Oceng, Emmanuel Jal and Ger Duany share a natural and relaxed chemistry with one another. It would be easy for Mamare, Paul and Jeremiah to seem like stock two-dimensional characters, but the three actors bounce well off one another and enjoy an easy rapport. They work hard to sell the script’s banter and wit, helping to carry the audience along with a few gags that might feel just a little bit too familiar or too cliché. The three actors sell the bond of friendship and family between the characters.

However, there is a slight problem with the third act. Nagle’s script is structured so that the division of the four characters is relegated primarily to the second act; once that thread has played out, the film needs a new arc. The arc it chooses for the final stretch is properly established and foreshadowed, but it still seems a little contrived and convenient. It presents itself just when the script needs an additional complication to extend the film, with a minimum amount of fuss or overlap. It does feel a little too neat; particularly for a film about a messy conflict.

“This isn’t quite what we meant when said you’d have to fill out the forms in triplicate.”

Still, these are minor complaints. The Good Lie works very well for most of its runtime, with a sharp script making the most of a talented cast. There is an honesty and charm to The Good Lie that really sells it – providing a sincere and thoughtful piece of work that never strains under the weight of its subject matter.

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: film, films, Movies, non-review review, Reese Witherspoon, review, Sudan, the good lie |