For all its gracious intentions,Bettany’s tale of the relationship between a drug addict and an illegal immigrant is undermined by a lack of balance and nuanceFull coverage of the Toronto film festival
Paul Bettany’s first film as both writer and director ends with a dedication: “To the couple who lived outside my building.” You only pray that his story isn’t based too closely on their experience. If so, they are the most tragic, and least lucky couple in history.
Hannah (Jennifer Connelly,who is married to Bettany) has lived on the streets of New York since her husband died. She’s addicted to heroin and is considering suicide until she meets Tahir (Anthony Mackie), an illegal immigrant from Lagos. The two descend into dependence that turns into like. Tahir can give Hannah the strength to attempt a recovery. Hannah can offer Tahir redemption for a terrible crime in his past.
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Source: theguardian.com