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| Movie Review: Welcome Alternate Title: Limbo
Story: The dream of getting
to a promised land is universal and often met with disappointment. The
topic of illegal immigration is explored sensitively and effectively
by French film director Philippe Lioret and was written
by Mr. Lioret, Emmanuel Courcol and Olivier Adam. Bilal, a 17 year old Iraqi has walked over 3000
miles from Mosel, Iraq to Calais, France, determined to get to England
to be with his sweetheart, Mina. She has recently emigrated with her
family to London. Bilal hits a roadblock when he discovers that getting
to England is difficult and fraught with danger. Without spoiling the
story I can say that Bilal decides to reach England by swimming the
English Channel. He meets Simon, a swimming instructor who will become
pivotal to his life. The swimming instructor risks much since
draconian French law says that if you help illegal migrants you can
be jailed for five years. The film successfully puts you directly in the shoes of Bilal, who
has risked everything to reach his destination and also into the heart
and soul of Simon, who discovers new lengths and breadths he will go
to in order to help this stranger. If you are pro-immigration you will find much to think and feel about
this fine new film. If you are anti-immigration you probably will be
staying away from this film. Immigration is a hot button issue these
days. If you had any doubts about it - I am pro-immigration. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t40ANH4Pe14 Acting: Vincent Lindon as Simon was pitch perfect.
Firat Ayverdi as Bilal, will steal your heart. Audrey
Dana as Marion, was terrific as were Derya Ayverdi
as Mina, Thierry Godard as Bruno and Selim
Akgul as Zoran. Trivia: Philippe Lioret, 54, who began working in
cinema as a sound mixer and script editor in the early 1980s, directed
his first feature, Lost in Transit in 1993. Loiret says
of this film "The theme of my film is immigrants, but its subject
is the drama between two couples. I wanted to explore this theme through
the real life of people—those like you or me—who generally
don’t know much about the problems of undocumented refugees and
how, when confronted with the issue, it changes their lives." He
spent six weeks living with immigrants and the volunteers in Calais,
and after that learnt enough about these issues to write a script.
Predilection: None
Critters: None
Food: Pizza
Opening Titles: Titles are at the end.
Visual Art: Calais looks very cold and worn but the
inside of Simons apartment is warm and lived in.
Theater Audience: 10 men and me. Nine of the men
were bald. All of us were reading the New York Times before the movie
started. I laughed at that.
Weather: Damp, foggy and cold.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: Anti-immigration activists make me
squirm.
Drift Factor: I paid attention throughout.
Predictability Level: Moderate
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: Probably not.
Big Screen or Rental: Big screen if you can.
Length: Under two hours.
LOBO HOWLS: 8
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