Perhaps the most familiar of all immigrant stories (Old World/New World division) sends Dad off to America to work hard and bring the wife & kid over as soon as he can. Only here the Old World isn’t Europe, but Africa; the holdup isn’t cash but visas & red tape; and the wait lasts 17 long years. Yet, the main problem remains unchanged: Dad’s become an American while the family are now foreigners. Hardly knowing if they still love (or even like) each other, can the family unit be revived? Should it be? Fortunately writer director Ekwa Msangi (African descent/born in Oakland, CA), brings a patient, elegant touch to things and a cast equally patient & elegant: Dad working extra shifts as a taxi driver to support everyone in the small one-bedroom flat where he's parked the tall handsome daughter who’s unwilling to open up or get past feelings of abandonment and a wife who now substitutes evangelical devotion (and donations!) to Jesus for her long missing husband. His substitution a bit more corporeal, something that brings about a crisis when discovered. Just in time, too, as the film needs a pick-me-up by the third act to jump start a resolution to family issues. It’s still on the modest side of things, but Msangi has an excellent eye for detail, an openness toward her players, and knows when to stop. NOTE: Our Family Friendly label comes with some (tasteful) nudity.
No comments:
Post a Comment