So what's it all about?
Socialite Sarah Jordan (Angelina Jolie) attends an expensive
fundraising banquet when relief worker Dr Nick Callahan (Clive Owen)
gatecrashes and delivers an impassioned plea for money for his refugee
camp in Ethiopia. Sarah, profoundly affected by his speech, assembles a
convoy of relief supplies and personally delivers it to Nick in Ethiopia.
This marks the beginning of a friendship, and later relationship, spanning
more than a decade and humanitarian crises in Ethiopia, Cambodia and
Chechnya.
Is it any good?
Beyond Borders is wonderfully filmed, contrasting beautiful natural
scenery with stark images of human starvation and despair. The pictures of
starving children in Ethiopia are particularly gut wrenching. The film
could easily have become a propaganda sob story, but fortunately does not.
It is not judgmental or political, but simply focuses on the plight of
people caught up in the middle of war torn countries.
Jolie is moving in her portrayal of Sarah, a naïve woman of privilege who
becomes a selfless crusader for those in need. Clive Owen, however,
dominates the film as the passionate, outspoken and cynical Dr Callahan.
Although both characters have identical goals, their methods and
personalities are completely different.
Sarah plays according to the rules, whereas Callahan verges on being a
humanitarian zealot. In his quest to alleviate human suffering he becomes
a gunrunner for the CIA in exchange for money and supplies. Here the film
delivers a compelling message about human nature: How some people
selflessly help those in need, while others are quite willing to exploit
their suffering for their own gains.
Aside from highlighting humanitarian crises around the world, Beyond
Borders is also a wonderful, tragic love story of two very different
people who affect remarkable changes in one another.
Score: 4/5
How about those special features?
Beyond Borders has two very detailed and interesting “making of”
features and watching them would certainly increase your appreciation of
the film. It explains the complexity of filming in different countries and
using hundred of extras speaking different languages. There's also an
interesting discussion on how the climate adversely affects filming, and
how hard it is to work in sub zero temperatures.
This is followed by an interview with scriptwriter Caspian Tredwell- Owen,
who spent over two years writing the script, and interviewed dozens of
human relief workers from around the world. There's also a short
documentary on Angelina Jolie in her role as goodwill ambassador to the
United Nations. Beyond borders offers multiple language selections and
commentary by the director and producer.
Score: 3/5
Best part:
The part where Sarah rescues a starving baby from a vulture
Best quote:
“Freedom is an expensive commodity” Steiger
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Beyond
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