Welcome, a film that tells the story of a young Kurdish boy trying to get from Calais to England, does a nice job of depicting an illegal alien's struggle to establish himself in a new world, but has a great deal of white-washing common in "hollywood" style films. The film's main pitfall is its relatively implausible plot: a French divorcee training an illegal immigrant to swim across the English Channel and reunite with his girlfriend from home. Although the characters themselves are deeply moving, the plot felt a tad trite. The film's depiction of women as more emotional, humanistic, and ancillary was disappointing as well. The French swim coach made for a nice character and developed a meaningful relationship with Bilal, the young migrant, but his "sad divorcee" storyline felt like a stale trope. Regardless, the film's tragic ending was both moving and relevant in an increasingly global world.
Review of Welcome
