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SAINT JUDY
Director: Sean Hanish Cast: Michelle Monaghan, Leem Lubany, Common, Alfred Molina, Ben Schnetzer, Gabriel Bateman, Alfre Woodard, Waleed Zuaiter, Mykelti Williamson, Peter Krause, Aimee Garcia, Kevin Chapman MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:46 Release Date: 3/1/19 (limited) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | February 28, 2019 The nickname, according to the woman's ex-husband, is supposed to be ironic—at least in the minds of her peers. Nonetheless, Judy Wood, the subject of Saint Judy, is presented in a mostly holy light as she navigates the obstacles and politics of post-9/11 immigration law. The movie is based on a true story, of course, but while its message is sincere, it's also a little too broad to make much of an impact. Part of that shortcoming is unavoidable, because the movie is entirely in the past tense (There's a direct but ineffective attempt to tie it to the current immigration debate by way of images during the end credits). Judy, played by Michelle Monaghan in a performance that smartly refuses to beatify the character (The filmmakers do all of that for her), moves to Los Angeles so that her ex-husband Matthew (Peter Krause) can split custody of their son Alex (Gabriel Bateman). She ends up in an immigration firm run by Ray Hernandez (Alfred Molina), a former idealist who now only cares about the clients' money. In her first case, Judy advocates for Asefa (Leem Lubany), a teacher from Afghanistan who was detained and tortured by the Taliban for teaching girls. Currently in a catatonic state from overmedication in a U.S. detention facility, she is scheduled to be deported. Judy believes Asefa deserves asylum, lest she face more torture or even death in her home country. Dmitry Portnoy's screenplay tries to balance multiple angles here: Judy's dogged analysis of the law, her difficulties being a single mother and struggling but devoted professional, Asefa's past, and the assorted hearings and court appearances that will determine the woman's fate. The message and the drama are to be found in Asefa's legal battle, so everything else feels rather trivial by comparison. The movie, directed by Sean Hanish, does come alive in those court proceedings, mostly taking place in a small trailer on the prison grounds. We come to understand Asefa's plight and the legal reasoning barring her from gaining protected status, but in the movie's mind, her strength, determination, and sacrifice are secondary to Judy's. This is, perhaps, to be expected. In that context, Saint Judy gives Asefa a voice that can be heard even against the celebration of Judy. Ultimately, though, Judy's story simply doesn't seem as important. Copyright © 2019 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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