Checked out a new movie that’s already left the theaters – Beautifully Broken. A film about the Rwandan genocide so you know it’s gonna be fun. <eyes roll>
The film follows two Rwandan families either running from death gangs or being forced to join one (depending on their tribe)… and it follows an affluent white American family. I like to think it was juxtaposing the lifestyles of both sides but I’m not 100% sure what was in the heads of the film-makers. You’d think the first-world problems of the American family is saying something about the chaos in Rwanda… until the American teen daughter is raped. Which is bad, but is it as bad as 800,000 dead in Rwanda? Is making such moral or ethical comparisons ok? Is the film saying evil is evil or is it making that comparison for some other reason? I’m not sure and the movie isn’t well written enough to clarify.
But the movie is ultimately just trying to convince us that we aught to help Rwandan refugees. Charity or bringing them into our communities… it means well, but I’m not sure if it’s always clear what the film maker’s were thinking beyond the broad strokes. But credit where it’s due… this is faith-based film that supports immigration of refugees from…. countries in crisis, let’s say.
So, yeah, it’s a relatively low-budget and relatively decent film that’s got a better message than it is a film. It’s not super entertaining, what with all the machete murders and implied rape, but it’s got its heart in the right place. Can’t say I super recommend it but it is… good? nice? to see a theatrical film that is about the Rwandan genocide.
Score: 72