Rule Breakers

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Movies about underdogs overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds often have a relatively easy time of winning over viewers thanks to their inspiring narratives. This is especially true for fact-based stories, as well as films that have a particularly strong family-friendly vibe associated with them. At the same time, though, these productions also run the risk of overdoing it when it comes to these qualities, and such is very much the case here. The film tells the tale of the Afghan Dreamers Robotics Team, a quartet of passionate, inventive high school girls (Amber Afzali, Nina Hosseinzadeh, Sara Malal Rowe, Mariam Saraj) who achieved wide acclaim for their ingenious mechanical creations. They were inspired by their coach and mentor, Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri), an Afghan computer coder who made it her mission to introduce the young women of her country to the opportunities available through a pioneering technology little known to them. And so, with the assistance of her brother, Ali (Noorin Gulamgaus), a generous computer entrepreneur, Samir Sinha (Ali Fazal), and other assorted benefactors, Mahboob built a team that successfully participated in a number of international robotic competitions. Achieving that objective wasn’t easy, however, given the many challenges the Dreamers faced in terms of finding funding, acquiring materials to build their creations, and overcoming resistance from the chauvinistic Afghan male population who generally didn’t believe that their country’s women were worthy of being educated, let alone be allowed to engage in activities like this. Writer-director Bill Guttentag’s latest feature manages to check off all the requisite boxes for a film of this stripe, but it frequently tends to go overboard in delivering its messages, stressing points that are easy to grasp without having to browbeat audiences. What’s more, the approach taken in assembling this release is far from original, rigidly following an outline that’s highly formulaic, predictable and by the numbers, leaving little to the imagination, even without having knowledge of the particulars of this saga in advance. To its credit, the picture makes some fine, uplifting points about commitment, determination and innovation, as well as the value of equal educational opportunities for women. It also features some clever cinematography, an eclectic soundtrack and commendable performances by a crop of largely newcomers. And, as evidenced here, the impact of Mahboob’s efforts to foster women’s academic and vocational aspirations was truly significant, having planted seeds of change to shift the culture during the years between the overthrow of the repressive Taliban regime and its subsequent return to power. Sadly, though, as undeniably important as this story is, it genuinely deserved a better film than what has been presented through this sorely underwhelming effort.