Limbo

A tale of those lost in seemingly perpetual transition, left in the dark, outcast, isolated and alone, as the dehumanising process of asylum seeking is dissected with great humour, empathy, sorrow and loss - outstanding!

"You ever think about who you were before all of this?"

Limbo is a wry and poignant observation of the refugee experience, set on a fictional remote Scottish island where a group of new arrivals await the results of their asylum claims. It centers on Omar, a young Syrian musician who is burdened by his grandfather's oud, the king of Arabic music instruments, which he has carried all the way from his homeland. The trailer for this intrigued me. It set up to be a Wes Anderson or Taika Waititi film in style and humor. Marketing failed on this one. Limbo is definitely a drama. And I really liked it. To me, this feels like a First Cow type of film with an early release in the year that showcases some of the best so far. Ben Sharrock actually was nominated for two BAFTAs earlier this year for the categories of Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, and Producer, and also in Outstanding British Film. Clearly, there's a lot to offer. The writing is very good. A few scenes we get those witty moments that make it somewhat comedic. I really liked those and it brought us into a happy place for some time. The rest may be dramatic and touching in more serious areas, but the writing also stands out here. The execution still feels sort of like a Wes Anderson style at points, but more if he were to do a full-fledged drama. With the breathtaking cinematography in effective aspect ratios, the vision is direct. It captures the coldness of the setting and story. I'd love to see the cinematography get some recognition at some point.

The acting is different in a good way. It's not necessarily deadpan, but it's not bursting with emotion. It's just right to get that feeling that they're in limbo (yes I made a pun there). Amir El-Masry is really good and I'd love to see him in more roles. He captures the right emotion and feeling of nothingness. Other characters such as Boris and Helga provide the lighter tone giving some hope. I think there was a little struggle of finding the right style with both execution and acting. Although done well, there are scenes and pacing issues that show this. It's slow paced and could've been cut down just a little. I can see some getting bored, especially if they think the trailer will be a good representation of the film. I agree that it could've been faster at certain points in the story. Some scenes need that pacing to let the message resonate. For what it's worth, though, I can go with what it is. This off-kilter film is one that will stick with me for some time. I'm excited to see Limbo again and whatever Sharrock makes in the future.

Almost turned into Aki Kaurismaki's pupil, the Scottish director manages to create a fun, moving and profound story about the refugee drama. That sarcastic look that places a group of refugees on some remote Scottish islands where nothing happens except the ups and downs of the weather, creates a story that is humorous but slowly turns to melancholy. The same one that the protagonist has, anchored in a limbo that is physical, but above all, vital.

I came across this film and I felt intrigued to see it and I'm glad I did. This film is so beautifully made and is very touching and moving. The story follows the young Syrian Omar (Amir El-Masry) who ends up in a remote Scottish island until he finds out if he's granted asylum. He lives with three other immigrants from other nationalities and they live in a small house in the middle of nowhere, while they attend cultural awareness sessions to develop their social skills. Omar doesn't say much, but his eyes says it all. He feels alone and out of place, while he's an aspiring musician who plays the oud, he never played since he left Syria, and due to a hand injury he remains unable to play. He calls his parents over the phone, where they tell him about their struggle as well, as they live in Turkey, while his brother Nabil remains in Syria to fight for his country. Omar feels that he's not good enough as his brave brother who wasn't afraid to stay in his war-torn country, while he's haunted by his father's words who keeps reminding him " a musician who doesn't play, is a dead man". Omar struggles with his memories of his life with his family back home, where they used to grow apricots and sing old songs, and he used to play oud in front of audience. But now he just wanders the open roads and fields, and he just talks with his roommate Farhad, who's been waiting for more than two years for his asylum claim. Omar walks everywhere with his oud case which was given to him by his grandfather, maybe because he doesn't want to lose it, as it's the only thing he has left that reminds him of his old life. The film has a lot of other moving stories related to the other immigrants and Omar's relationship with his brother, as all of them highlight how cruel it is for any refugee who's forced to leave his country and venture into the unknown, while leaving his loved ones behind and facing a world he doesn't recognize or belong to. The writer and director Ben Sharrock was able to capture the inner feelings of an Arab in a foreign country, and the Cinematography of the vast landscape with very beautiful. Also the depiction of Arab songs was lovely especially the song in the end titles by Magda El Romi. This is one of those rare films that is so human and it's brilliance lies in its simplicity yet it has such great emotional depth. Finally Amir El-Masry is such a talented actor, who could be the next Rami Malek, who knows.

Ben Sharrock's film tells the story of a number of refugees on an island off the coast of Scotland, where they await the potential of seeking asylum in the United Kingdom. The film centers first and foremost on Omar, a refugee from Syria with a background as a musician. The film's uniquely bittersweet tone and down-to-earth resonance makes it a generally commendable picture. Sharrock uses dry humor to create "fish-out-of-water" scenarios for the refugee characters, but he does so in a smart and sophisticated way without seeming insensitive to their backgrounds and ambitions. Yet the film is also deeply cognizant of the traumas suffered by refugees, and despite the mix of lighter and darker material, the film's tone is always handled well and never manages to feel uneven. We feel the uncertainty and plight of the major characters, while also remaining endeared and deeply sympathetic to them.

The film's aesthetic is simple yet appealing, with narrow-frame cinematography of the Scottish island that can sometimes look like shots in a Wes Anderson film. As a character, Omar is also extremely well-developed through our understanding of his past as well as his future ambitions. His interpersonal relations are also carefully examined through the film's witty and thought-provoking dialogue, including conversations with other refugees and well-written telephone conversations he has with loved ones. Through the film, Omar genuinely evolves as a person in a way characteristic of coming-of-age films; this dynamic nature of his character was also handled well throughout the narrative. My only real criticism of the film is that it tends to drag in the second act, which simply felt less insightful to me in its character development or social themes than the first and the third act. That said, "Limbo" serves as a touching and clever portrait of the refugee experience that is generally worth seeing. 7.5/10.