THE GOOD LIE directed by Philippe Falardeau, written by Margaret Nagle, with Reese Witherspoon, Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany and Emmanuel Jal. A Warner Bros. release. Some subtitles. 110 minutes. Opens Friday (October 3). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNN
A drama about three Sudanese war survivors airlifted to Kansas City in early 2001 as part of an American outreach program, The Good Lie is being sold as a feel-good picture along the lines of The Blind Side.
But it’s also the studio debut of Monsieur Lazhar director Philippe Falardeau, and he’s not interested in feel-good crap. He keeps things firmly grounded in the perspective of his protagonists (Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany and Emmanuel Jal), who are left to struggle with PTSD and survivor guilt in a world they don’t quite understand.
The marketing puts Reese Witherspoon’s grumpy single woman front and centre, but it’s a bait-and-switch. Her character doesn’t appear for the first third and never takes over the story. Falardeau is far more interested in earning our empathy – and our tears – than in pandering to an American audience.
Good for him.
