June 19, 2005
In America
Loki told me this movie made her cry. Therefore, I thought this movie was going to be a downer.
Surprisingly, it wasn't.
First of all, I have to give proper credit to the two sisters who played a pair of sisters in the film. Never have I seen such acting from someone so young.
I originally thought this movie would be about the two girls who were moved by their parents from Ireland to New York.
Then, I thought it was a movie about a family coping with the loss of their son, as they attempted to run away from their pain to a country with no memory of their loss.
Finally, I realized it is about neither of these things...it is about a father, learning how to greive and feel after the worst (he suspects) has happened; about new beginnings; about not being able to run from the past; and about accepting a new and different type of person.
Djimon Hounsou gives an excellent performance. I love it when the man yells. It gives me chills.
Watch closely for the embedded symbolism...the entire film is littered with it, but is subtle enough not to detract attention.
At the end, I learned what I already knew from experience: moving house/running away doesn't make your problems go away.
Same life, different country.
Watch it. Love it. Cry or not, depending on how you view it.
