The film revolves around a young man and three friends who won the lottery. These young men decided to resettle in the United States after the civil war in Sudan. One day, these guys meet an American woman who is tasked with helping her find jobs, as it appears that these young people are grappling with a new life to adapt to reality.
A well-told tale that illuminates the experiences of the 20,000 "lost boys" (and girls) of Sudan, with such grace, insight and humor, it can be forgiven a few simplifying liberties taken in the name of moving the narrative along.
The main characters are played by actual refugees-two of whom were child soldiers-and their uninflected, authoritative performances compensate for the feel-good simplifications of Margaret Nagle's script.
It's often earnest to a fault and fearful of its deeper, darker implications. Still, you won't leave The Good Lie unmoved. Its heart really is in the right place,
Strong performances from Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany and Emmanuel Jal ensure that the characters of Mamere, Jeremiah and Paul are never reduced to "exotic" victimhood.
If a moviegoer can't cry for the great tragedy of these Sudanese children, and be touched by their small victories, then who on earth deserves our tears and cheers?
If a measure of tasteful restraint is detectable, it serves at least to allow for the depiction of human emotion instead of the market-driven blandification of history.
