Out of My Hand (2015)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- In the Liberian countryside, Cisco's quiet life as a rubber plantation worker is disrupted by a workers' strike. Risking everything to embark on a new life, he accepts a chance invitation to New York, where he immerses himself in its small Liberian community. But when Cisco (Bishop Blay) meets Jacob (Zenobia Taylor), a former Liberian child soldier, he is forced to confront his difficult past. The film is a modern twist on a classic immigrant story, shot on locations in Liberia and New York. "Out of My Hand" is only the second foreign-production narrative feature film ever shot in Liberia and the first to be made in association with Liberia Movie Union, an affiliate of Liberian government.
- Actors:
- Bishop Blay, Zenobia Taylor, Duke Murphy Dennis, Rodney Rogers Beckley, Shelley Molad, Patricia Dillon, Timothy Laurel Harrison, Charles Justo, Shivantha Wijesinha
- Directors:
- Takeshi Fukunaga
- Producers:
- Donari Braxton, Mike Fox
- Writers:
- Takeshi Fukunaga, Donari Braxton
- Genres:
- Drama
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Reviews (1) of Out of My Hand
From Power to Powerlessness - Out of My Hand review by griggs
Out of My Hand is one of those films that stays with you—not because it's flashy or loud, but because it feels lived-in. The first half, set in Liberia, is gripping stuff. Cisco, our lead, is a rubber plantation worker turned organiser, and you really feel his presence—he's got a voice, a cause, and you're right there with him. Once he moves to New York, though, things shift. He fades into the background, and the film becomes quieter and more introspective as ghosts from his past emerge. The title 'Out of My Hand' reflects Cisco's journey from a position of control in Liberia to a more vulnerable state in New York. In Liberia, he was a big fish in a small pond, but in New York, he is the smallest of fish in an ocean surrounded by sharks.
I couldn't shake the feeling something was missing. That might be due to my limited knowledge of Liberian history, which the film references without elaborating. How different it would've been with a Liberian director at the helm? Still, the mood, the performance, and the honesty of it all carry real weight.
Out of My Hand may not be flawless, but it is undeniably heartfelt. Its quiet power lies in its ability to evoke genuine emotions and connect with its audience on a deeper level.