WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The anatomy of compassion and the potency of exoneration. Do we not tend to find ourselves leaping before we look, assuming before studying, forming opinion without actually being informed? The notions we have in our minds when something around us defies our standard beliefs or pre-formulated logic, the dismissive state we take on can so often lead us away from what really matters–the truth. It is 1999, and in the State of Orissa (now Odisha) arrives young journalist Manav Banerjee (Sharman Joshi). His immediate boss, Kedar Mishra (Prakash Belawadi), has but one request and assignment for his eager, potentially new employee–discredit, via research and providing solid proof, the ministrations to and “conversions” of leprosy-stricken patients by a local Australian missionary named Graham Staines (Stephen Baldwin). The more Manav digs into Stains’ life, the shadows of doubt about the accusations the powers that be have about it all begin to creep in, leaving Manav warily skeptical but undeniably curious.
Next, my Mind:
The deconstruction of healing kindness, the wholeness of unconditional love, the bitter reality of hate, and the soul-stirring explorations of unwavering faith, deep-seeded speculation, overt injustice, and acceptance of events that truly go beyond human explanation are all concepts brought to bear in this highly moving, emotive, true story-based feature film from director/producer Aneesh Daniel, writer/producer Andrew E. Matthews, and executive producer Victor Abraham. Having its New York Premier at the inaugural New York City South Asian Film Festival sponsored by Toyota USA, the effort is executed with the completely character-driven, straight forward, quietly yet dynamically changing manner that drives independent film to the successes it consistently manifests, at least for this critic, and the pacing here allow the viewer to remain immersed in a very moving and engaging narrative that focuses on the underlying themes of religion and intolerance while not coming across blatantly preachy or pushing specific theological agendas.
Rather, Staines’ Christian faith and Manav’s incisively adamant cynicism about what Staines is doing serve as the foundations for a greater story that should frankly make us sit back and thoroughly assess our lives when it comes to how we face that which we don’t understand, many times allowing the viewpoints of others to taint our minds and hence make suppositions that could very much be totally incorrect, as is depicted quite firmly and astutely here. The consequences of these misinterpretations can be far-reaching and keenly negative if not curbed, as it entails us to having to humbly admit our flawed hypotheses and ask for absolution, which contradicts natural human ego, pride, and stubbornness we have. Even in the face of unchecked anger and prejudice, no good thing comes from it unless the afflicted are actually willing to extend clemency to those who perpetrate it while not dismissing the actuality of justice, which the film’s heart-wrenching finale displays to full effect.
Joshi, whom I had a chance to interview upon originally seeing this film earlier in 2019, brings such a wonderfully level-headed, grounded, and sublimely intense performance to the screen in his role as Manav, an energetic, hard-working “everyman” and journalist who only seeks to obtain and maintain a life for himself and his pregnant wife. Caught in a situation with an unscrupulous newspaper editor out to create controversary by exposing the supposed “illegal conversions” Staines is perpetrating, Manav’s hesitations are met with less than caring, dismissive reactions which end up driving him into a journey that changes his life forever, finding a higher path to tread in the face of ignorance, and having to walk through internal pain and potentially disastrous decisions to reach redemption. Throughout the film, Joshi embodies this with a poise and relatability which endears us to his character, even when certain choices threaten to undermine the admiration and empathy we end up having for him.
Baldwin has always been, for me, a somewhat unheralded and consummate character actor, and he shows this with his own brand of acting strengths in playing Staines, a long-standing Christian missionary and caretaker of lepers in Orissa, India. Finding himself an unassuming target of Manav who’s out to disprove all that Staines has accomplished and continues to as fraudulent and illegal, Staines treats the intrepid journalist like a human being, accepting him despite his goals to discredit him, and trying to illustrate all the allegations thrown at him aren’t true. The power in him showcasing this to Manav is via backing up words with demonstrated actions and acts of kindness that befuddle Manav’s preconceived ideas about Staines, and it only makes the journalist have to affirm the faith that Staines is choosing to live by. The down-to-earth demeanor Baldwin infuses into the character really makes him shine as the normal person Staines truly was while doing extraordinary things in helping and loving others. It does make the film’s pivotal turning point that much more weighty, and Baldwin enacts those moments with superb effectiveness.
Primary supporting turns are excellent and delivered through the beautiful and engaging Aditi Chengappa as Manav’s loving and supportive wife Shanti, Belawadi editor Kedar Mishra, a character you’ll love to hate, Shari Rigby as Staine’s wife who’s involved with one of the story’s most powerfully poignant moments and the statement about faith it makes, and Manoj Mishra as local troublemaker Mahendra, whose incendiary manner is paramount to disaster. In total, “The Least of These: The Graham Staines Story” stands as a necessary beacon of indie film prowess that elicits the kind of reaction it should with its dramatic messages of love and forgiveness aiming to influence compellingly without forcing the issue while being bold enough to be coolly evocative in a manner made to showcase that it doesn’t take a change in your faith to experience a meaningful alteration in opinion, heart, and soul towards others and ourselves.
As always, this is all for you consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
