Firedancer

It is a sincere, thoughtful work, though not a very accomplished one.

For the most part, Fire Dancer presents an energetic mosaic of a displaced culture.

Unfortunately, the back story behind FireDancer is ultimately more interesting than the finished product, a thematically ambitious but rough-hewn combination of love story and examination of cultural dislocation.

Essentially a more awkward Afghan version of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

Film struggles to balance its past-present memory drama and a rather standard take on an American immigrant family. Although accented by fine cinematic flourishes, pic is harmed by an abrupt conclusion and technical glitches.

Grim headlines aside, FireDancer is hard to recommend, with its haphazard tone, wobbly acting, and cipher-like lead.

Whether Jawed Wassel could have made more of it with further editing we'll never know, but it's a clunky bit of storytelling.