Leave to Remain

A laudable concept falls some way short of convincing in writer/director Bruce Goodison's feature debut. Toby Jones stars as a care worker at a hostel for young refugees, who not only arranges cultural activities, but is also prepared to lie to help his favourites. However, his instincts about Afghan teen Noof Ousellam come under question when newcomer Masieh Zarrien confides that he knows a secret about the boy. Alongside this uneasy relationship is the case of Guinean Yasmin Mwanza, who has been hideously mistreated by her husband and his rapacious friends. Goodison and co-writer Charlotte Colbert worked on the project with real asylum seekers over a number of years, and authenticity permeates proceedings. However, the imposition of an emotive narrative deprives the material of the necessary objective gravitas and dark wit. The performances by the non-professional actors are excellent (particularly when undergoing callous interrogation), while cinematographer Felix Wiedemann's use of shallow focus, close-ups and oblique angles reinforces the sense of claustrophobia and isolation. But the social realism is ultimately overly tinged with melodrama.