Captivating is the word that may immediately come to the minds of individuals who take a gander at Warner Brothers’ The Good Lie. As a matter of fact, awesome and fascinating may also be suitable words. Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon is the sole headliner in a film concerning a few smart and determined survivors of the civil war in Sudan back in the 1980s. The film was screened at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year before opening on October 3. The Good Lie was met with positive reviews from critics and that’s the same thing it’s going to get here.

Simply put, the film was intriguing. The cinematography was pretty solid in the prologue set in Sudan. It seems the production team set out to capture the harsh realities of war and that was certainly what was on display. There was something a little disturbing about seeing adult soldiers chasing little children with rifles and shooting them if caught. However, perhaps this is what the director wants the viewer to feel. It was certainly effective. I watched this movie with my aunt who, up until that scene, was half asleep on the couch. However, she was jolted awake and stayed awake for the duration of the film.

“Some folks just have to grow up so fast,” she said with sadness. And she’s right. It seems we both received a bit of a history lesson … in addition to some top notch video quality. The film is presented in 1080p high definition and comes with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) and Dolby Digital (French and Spanish). Subtitles come in English, French and Spanish. It’s also worth mentioning that the Blu-ray does come with a DVD as well which is a nice touch. The special features are typical but not boring – a feature with Witherspoon and director Philippe Falardeau sharing the challenges and triumphs of creating the motion picture, and a few deleted scenes.

There are some things that I did enjoy about The Good Lie. For starters, I loved the teamwork amongst the children in the tribe back in Sudan and I particularly enjoyed how devoted they were to reading the Bible and using it as a source of perseverance. I also liked how things were portrayed after the 13-year time jump that took place towards the second act of the film. I’m a sucker for camaraderie and it was nice to know that these friends stuck together after humanitarian efforts brought them to the America.

However, what I really enjoyed was seeing Witherspoon bring warmth and humor to her role as an assistant of sorts to the people of Sudan. It was funny seeing her help them get acclimated to American culture (i.e. introducing them to phones, light switches and even Jell-O). All in all, she did a great job and reminded viewers why she nabbed that Academy Award a few years ago.

Warner Brothers has another hit on their hand with The Good Lie. If movie lovers are looking for quality then this is definitely the way to go. That’s not a fib, folks. It’s a good truth.

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THIS OFFER HAS EXPIRED.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in Los Angeles an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new drama The Good Lie starring Reese Witherspoon, Corey Stoll, real-life Sudanese refugees Arnold Oceng and Kuoth Wiel, Ger Duany and rapper Emmanuel Jal, who were both former child soldiers and lost boys, and Femi Oguns. Rounding out the cast are Sarah Baker, Mike Pniewski,  and children of real-life Sudanese refugees Peterdeng Mongok, Okwar Jale, Thon Kueth, Beng Ajuet and Kejo Jale as the younger lost boys.

Orphaned by the brutal Civil war in Sudan that began in 1983, these young victims, the “Lost Boys,” traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America.

The screenings will take place Wednesday, October 1 at 7:30 PM at AMC Century City 15, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.

A limited number of passes are available on a first come, first served basis. To be eligible, please read and follow the directions CAREFULLY. There will be no exceptions.

• Comment on this post with LOS ANGELES. If you make a mistake, do not edit your comment because it will not register. You must submit a new comment.
• Include your FULL NAME (First and Last) and email address on the entry form (NOT in the comment box!). Double check your email address before submitting. If your email address is misspelled, you will not receive passes.
• ONE entry per person or couple will be accepted. CliqueClack has the right to discard any duplicates or comments that appear to be duplicates. Multiple comments from a single person will result in complete disqualification. As this is not a random drawing, only one person per couple needs to comment. Keep these offers fair for everyone!
• Check your calendar before commenting. If you have no intention of using the passes, please don’t leave a comment. If the studios see that passes we are given to award to our readers are not being used, they will not want to offer us passes for future screenings. Please be considerate!

Please note that passes do not guarantee seats at the screening. Seating is first come, first served so plan to arrive early. CliqueClack has no control over the total number of passes distributed, and is not responsible for seating arrangements at the theater. Please note: Annabelle is rated R. No one under 17 will be admitted without parent or guardian.

Have a look at the trailer below and then let us know you want to see the film! The Good Lie opens in theaters October 3.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5mrvffezmM