God Grew Tired of Us

God Grew Tired of Us ***

Directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn

Co-Directed by Tommy Walker

Written by Christopher Dillon Quinn

Featuring:

John Dau

Daniel Abul Pach

Narrated by Nicole Kidman

89 Minutes(Rated PG for thematic elements and some disturbing images.)

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"God Grew Tired of Us" is a fascinating documentary-at both times humorous and heartbreaking. And this does not seen like the proper time for it to be out-it should have been out last month to be considered for awards, because it's one of the better documentaries around at the moment. It is a strange experience, that somewhat plays with your emotions. Looking back, I feel like of angry at myself that I laughed at times-and I recall chuckling in the theatre while everyone else was dead silent. More on that later. It tells a very interesting story from the only perspective that it could be told from-and the points of interest are not discovered until about fifteen minutes into the film.

Beginning with a little background information on Sudan and the persecution that many were facing. We get the standard footage that we've seen before-the people of the area, gaunt and thin from hunger. We get a painted picture of something that we've seen millions of times, before finally focusing in on the true subject-three men-John, Daniel, and Panther. These three men have been chosen to go and live in the United States-get schooling, get work, and start a new life for themselves. Why? They are part of a group of men, known as The Lost Boys, who have no idea where their parents, or any other family could be. It is here where the film gets very interesting. We follow these three men as they begin to discover everything for the first time. They are amazed by the concept of a shower, they are blown away by television, and they are fascinated by doughnuts. They are always asking questions, and always experiencing new things. When the holiday season comes, they put up the Christmas tree, watch Christmas movies, and go see Santa Claus at the mall, but they are always asking "Why?" It is like watching "Borat," except without all the dirty jokes. We see them face many trials-what happens when they have to work many hours not allowing them to see each other often. Or what happens when one of their friends goes missing, and returns mentally unstable-probably from missing home and living in a new environment. But at the same time they discover that America is a land of opportunity, just as long as you allow it to be.

The title refers to an interview with one of the men-who believed that life was getting so difficult in Sudan that they felt that god was getting tired of them-and was just waiting for them all to disappear off the face of the Earth. And as morbid as that seems, "God Grew Tired of Us" is a happy experience-an experience of discovery and being introduced to something great. I'll admit, it was humorous at times watching these three men seeing things for the first time. Watching Daniel pour himself a bowl of Ritz crackers into a thermos, smashing them all with a hammer, and then pouring milk into it was indeed comical, but at the same time very depressing. These people have lived in an entirely different plane of existence for years and years, that making a simply bowl of cereal is done incorrectly. As impoverished and difficult Sudan must be, as described in the beginning, I feel that we could learn something from them. One of the biggest problems that John, Daniel, and Panther faced was that they had to work a lot. They weren't tired from the work-in fact they were glad to be given the chance to work. Instead, they were angry about not being able to see each other. A big difference between life in the United States and life in Sudan is that family is not valued as much. Family is a big deal in Sudan, and through this film it seems like it is the most important thing. It also doesn't seem like something valued as much here in the U.S.

"God Grew Tired of Us" is very interesting to watch, and as extremely grand experience. It saves itself from the typical "Discovery Channel" like opening and turns into a very powerful story. It also does meander a bit towards the end, and during the last ten minutes there were so many fade outs that I didn't know when to start putting my coat on. With any luck it'll spread around more, as this is something that should be seen. And there is certainly a lot of celebrity backage behind it too. Not only does Nicole Kidman do the narration(which oddly enough doesn't distract the viewer from what is happening on the screen), but the producers list boasts names like Brad Pitt, Dermont Mulroney, and Catherine Keener. And I would thank them for getting this film around. It is not only giving out great political messages, but it is also a story that is very enjoyable to watch. It is certainly the best documentary around at the moment, and the first truly good film of 2007.