The Last Face 2016

     Wren Petersen has taken her father’s place as director of an international aid agency in Liberia and South Sudan.  She meets Dr. Miguel Leon and he is a relief aid doctor.  They are both working during a political/social revolution in these countries.  There are many tough choices concerning humanitarianism and saving lives during this civil unrest.  Wren and Miguel have different and opposing opinions on how to resolve this war. 

     I wanted to like this film but it becomes such a muddle that I had to wonder what was going on?  The focus is too much on the romance between Wren and Miguel??  I didn’t understand anything about the conflict except the devastation.  How did the rescuers become so much more important than those needing rescue?  2 1/2*(This movie was just so-so)  

      

130 min, Drama directed by Sean Penn with Charlize Theron, Javier Bardem, Adele Exarchopoulos, Jared Harris Jean Reno, Denise Newman, Oscar Best, Zubin Cooper, SEbelethu Bonkolo, Hopper Penn, Marritt Wever, Tina Jaxa.

Note:  Imdb 4.6 out of 10, 5% critic 35% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1*, Amazon 3.4* out of 5* with 129 reviews, Metacritic 16 out of 100 with 20 critics 5.6 out of 10 with 5 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Cape Town, South Africa and Geneva, Canton de Geneve, Switzerland.  Originally, Robin Wright the former wife of Sean Penn, tried to get this filmed in 2004.  She brought on board Javier Bardem and Sean Penn.  Her funding fell through and she was forced to abandon the project.  After their divorce, Penn took on the directing job and cast his then girlfriend Theron in Wright’s role.  The principle actors are not from the United States.  Theron from South Africa, Reno and Exarchopolus from France and Javier Bardem from Spain.  Penn has been involved in a lot of humanitarian work and he raised millions of relief dollars for Haiti.  He can’t seem to make an impact and bring out his passion in this film?