But Sharrock’s script excels at piercing the whimsical story with astute observations as various characters push Omar to stop wallowing in self-pity. “Limbo” follows a similar trajectory with mixed results, and sometimes tries too hard. It’s a bit too imitative of the filmmakers who excel at this sort of approach, most notably Elia Suleiman and Aki Kaurismaki, whose use of long, stationary takes and extended silence can turn a quiet moment of private reflection into comic gold.
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The movie could easily fall into a bland sentimental routine from there, but Sharrock’s irreverent tone turns Farhad’s journey into a strange and involving one. Little by little, “Limbo” constructs a vivid world of characters united by vacant world around them, and happy to fill it in with friendly vibes. (Farhad, who steals a chicken from the nearby farm and names it “Freddy Jr.,” deserves his own spin-off.) White locals seem keen on connecting with a new face in the lonely setting, and a Sikh grocery store owner educates Omar about racist English terms. At the small home he inhabits with fellow refugees, he spends off-hours watching old episodes of “Friends” with Farhad, a peppy, mustachioed Freddie Mercury super-fan who insists he’ll become Farhad’s agent and take him on the road. However, there’s a happier world just beyond Omar’s experiences, and “Limbo” excels whenever people reach out to its sad-eyed protagonist to invite him in. And his older brother, who chose to remain in Syria and join resistance fighters there, serves as a constant source of guilt. (“A musician who doesn’t play his instrument is dead,” he recalls being told.) His only connection to his family comes from the island’s solitary phone booth, where he calls his judgmental parents, and their voices come to him like echoes of a distant path.
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He still carries around his grandfather’s oud (a Middle-Eastern instrument that resembles a guitar) but can’t seem to recall how to play it. But the filmmaker’s deadpan style is soon undercut by the more muted, melancholic look at Omar’s routine: In between shrugging off the friendly overtures of his new roommate Farhad (Vikash Bhai) and gazing out at the unforgiving sea, Omar has morphed into a sad shell of his old self. Its hilarious opening number finds a pair of zany locals educating the refugees about appropriate behavior on the dance floor, and Sharrock returns to that training room several more times. Still, it takes some time to sort through what kind of movie “Limbo” wants to be. Quentin Tarantino's Favorite Movies: 53 Films the Director Wants You to See Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies: 58 Films the Director Wants You to See 3' Review: These Intergalactic Weirdos Are the Real Heart of the MCU Where to Watch This Week's New Movies, from 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' to 'R.M.N.' Guided by El-Masry’s tender, understated performance and a tone that hovers between playful and sincere, “Limbo” manages to turn its downbeat scenario into a sweet and touching rumination on the quest to belong in an empty world.
Sharrock’s charming and insightful second feature justifies its title by using the droll backdrop to explore how the young man comes to terms with his nomadic status. Yet “Limbo” doesn’t have fun at Omar’s expense.
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