• Movie Preview •

Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman , Danai Gurira. Comedy/drama. Written and Directed by Tom McCarthy.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A college professor becomes embroiled in the lives of a young immigrant couple living in New York City and stumbles into an unexpected romance as a result. As these strangers struggle to deal with their individual lives in a changed world, their shared humanity is revealed in awkward, humorous and dramatic ways.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Here’s what I loved about this film. It was a gentle character study about a man shut off from the world suddenly opening up to those around him. And the film points out that different nationalities can actually complement one another. That’s not a conservative or liberal consensus. Or shouldn’t be. We are like pieces of a puzzle designed to work together in order to make a living, breathing picture. I know, it sounds like I’m going to start handing out daises. But when we get past the barriers of politics we start coming together, appreciating the gifts God has given all of us.

The film is well cast down to the smallest roles, the direction seamless and though the pacing will be slow to those more accustomed to action thrillers than dramatic character studies, still there is a rhythm and a rhyme to the story that maintains an interest.

Alas, though I understand the filmmaker’s agenda – to tell a personal story that will aid in changing our immigration system - still it’s a pretty one-sided argument. We see a good man deported, separated from his family and his dreams of a better life here in the U.S. The filmmaker may be asking us to examine alternatives, or perhaps he’s just condemning us. But it must not be forgotten that while this is a good man, he is here illegally.

I’m always amazed at which laws people will uphold and which they will ignore. I don’t consider myself an authority on immigration, but shouldn’t laws be changed rather than just ignored. That said, at least this filmmaker is opening the question to debate. Debate is good. True art makes you think and feel. This film does both.

Distributor: Overture Films