The very good foreign drama Limbo opens in US theaters and it’s worth watching. It’s a story of determination, strong will and escape to a land of welcome. Nicely directed, written and acted it is being released April 30th in theaters.
Omar (Amir El-Masry), arrives in Scotland from his war torn Syria seeking asylum and a work permit. He’s an Oud player by profession and can entertain people. However, the area in which he finds himself requires him to stay at a refugee station and it will take months for him to get the permit. There he meets a number of interesting characters that are trying to immigrate to Scotland including Farhad (Vikash Bhai), Wasef (Ola Orebiyi) and Abedi (Kwabena Ansah). The three will play a big part in Omar’s new life as he navigates his new surroundings.
Writer and director Ben Sharrock does a great job of fashioning a likeable character for his film. It’s nearly impossible not to like this young man who wants to be a success so he can send money back to his family in Syria. He’s also the younger of two boys, the second of which is fighting to help free his country from tyranny. He keeps his film lite and not overly maudlin so as to keep it from becoming a political message.
The acting by the whole cast is very good, but it’s Amir El-Masry that carries the movie with his determination to make good in the strange new land. His fine depiction of Omar shows empathy for the others in his same situation and forms a bond with the others during the long months of wait.
Limbo has been rated R by the MPAA for language. There is also a comical scene of a sexual nature, a sign in the classroom with banned racial slurs, and a disturbing scene. The film gets very good marks 4 out of 5 Stars.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Amir El-Masry, Vikash Bhai, Ola Orebiyi, Kwabena Ansah and Sidse Babett Knudsen, Kais Nashif
Directed and written by: Ben Sharrock
Genre: Drama, Comedy
MPAA Rating: R for language
Running Time: 1 hr. 44 min.
Opening Date: April 30, 2021
Distributed by: Focus Features
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
