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Just saw 'Worlds Apart' at the Tribeca Film Festival. Like most melodramas, the focus is not so much on the mundane details of the characters' lives but how they react to the overall conflict. In the case of 'Worlds Apart', Sara, the main character, must come to terms with possibly leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses, a group she's been raised in, along with the rest of her family and a boyfriend who she's fallen in love with.
One notices that certain characters are underdeveloped in this movie--particularly weak portraits include the older brother who has been expelled by the family for leaving the group as well as the mother, who moves out of the family home after her husband has an adulterous affair. One never feels that we get to know these characters as fully realized people at all--they're just there to further the plot along.
The same thing can be said for Sara's boyfriend. We learn that he's a musician but we never find out anything else about him. What about the father? He works as a hotel clerk and that's it. Does he have any friends or is his whole life simply hanging out with his family and attending church? At least Sara has one friend who she interacts with and she's the most compelling and interesting character.
The film becomes more interesting when we visit a Jehovah's Witness youth rally. We need more of a 'behind-the scenes' look at the group. One gets the feeling that the screenwriter is only looking at the Jehovah Witnesses from the outside--as though there are more details that he is not privy to. It is precisely those details that would have made the film a lot richer. He's on much more solid ground when he depicts the attitudes of the boyfriend's parents. Those characters are much more realistic and obviously echo the filmmaker's own values.
As this is a melodrama, complex issues are often reduced to formulaic, black and white scenarios. Hence, Sara's decision to leave the group almost seems preordained. Similarly, Sara's brother's decision to rejoin the group is designed to shock but his actions are never really explained.
Nonetheless, 'Worlds Apart' still keeps one's interest despite the predictability of its storyline. The characters are likable enough and the acting is convincing and heartfelt. If one accepts the director's view of the Jehovah's Witnesses in his country, Worlds Apart at its core is a cautionary tale on the dangers of cults.
This is a competent, well put-together film. If you're looking however for something a bit more nuanced, look elsewhere. As a solid melodrama, World's Apart delivers what it promises to do.
score 7/10
Turfseer 4 May 2008
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1868637/ |
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25-3-2021 12:05:10