Angelina Jolie's participation in this film is what makes it watchable; if not for her deeply committed performance, Beyond Borders would have been heavy-handed claptrap of the worst kind - a star-crossed/tragic romance masquerading as social commentary. But her presence is so riveting, her characterization so thoroughly controlled and believable, that you find yourself buying into the proceedings against your better judgment.
The heavy-handedness starts out early in the film, when Owen's character blazes into a private upperclass event with his ace in the hole, his emaciated Ethiopian boy JoJo, who is made into a mockery by both the crowd AND Owen, unbelievably enough. This scene did not bode well, of course, but then Jolie takes over, and dammit, you're sucked in. The ending is predictably tragic, but sad nonetheless because you did feel for her character.
The heavy-handedness starts out early in the film, when Owen's character blazes into a private upperclass event with his ace in the hole, his emaciated Ethiopian boy JoJo, who is made into a mockery by both the crowd AND Owen, unbelievably enough. This scene did not bode well, of course, but then Jolie takes over, and dammit, you're sucked in. The ending is predictably tragic, but sad nonetheless because you did feel for her character.