A group of Sudanese refugees given the chance to resettle in America arrive in Kansas City, Missouri, where their encounter with an employment agency counselor forever changes all of their lives.
Hardly the last word in subtlety but a moving true-life story nonetheless.
The Good Lie is an honest, honourable film at which there is no shame in shedding tears.
It might sound like a soft-soap proposition, but Philippe Falardeau’s drama starring Witherspoon as a counsellor to Sudan’s ‘lost boys’ is actually rather funny and winning.
This may be a story about refugees from a civil war but it turns into a sweet-natured, feelgood movie. It is engagingly played by Witherspoon and the Sudanese actors.
Sensitive to a fault and somewhat ragged, it's a commendably unhysterical examination of a hot-button topic.
Verdict: USA to the rescue.
The bond between Carrie and these “lost boys” makes for a sincere, simplistic and poignant tale.
The Good Lie has its heart in the right place, but its innate worthiness shouldn’t blind you to its leaden storytelling.
Child refugees go from war-torn Sudan to culture clash in America in this powerful and affecting tale.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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