Regardt van der Bergh has made a name for himself directing faith-based coming-of-age dramas that involve some form of healing. Uitvlucht is no different as we follow a woman burdened with guilt as she tries to start afresh after a difficult divorce. It's a story-within-a-story as the film's main plot unfolds as narrated by a wise old man to an apprentice struggling in his marriage.

The narrative device gives some leniency in its retelling as we're getting this from a man's fixed and possibly biased perspective. However, the genre mix seems unbalanced as it moves from light Afrikaans romance and tips into heartrending social drama, juxtaposing our lead's love life renaissance with the issues affecting the children of a very broken farm community.

The balancing act is entertaining in itself as the story shifts its weight from one foot to the other, unfortunately while the intense dysfunction Creates awareness and draws attention to abuse, it seems out-of-place against the light-hearted, tender and romantic tones.

Uitvlucht moves from being sweet and touching like a companion to Van Den Bergh's Klein Karoo, to the more hostile territory of education-interrupted in Mr. Pip. The constant see-sawing and tonal shifts make it uneven, despite the best of intentions and sincere, likable performances from Clara Joubert and Stian Bam.

Joubert carries much empathy into her character, smoothing over a chequered past with a kind and resolute performance. Bam demonstrates his range, counterbalancing his role in Modder en Bloed with a naive, tender and gentle giant of a man. The supporting cast keep the story in check and the naturalistic performances from the locals and kids everything grounded.

"I'm like a bird..."

The cinematography gives the film a great sense of space, moving from beautiful landscapes to the almost-claustrophobic confines of a rural classroom. Regardt van den Bergh uses symbols to convey nuggets of meaning in the story and while some are more obvious than others, the effect creates more depth. This coming-of-age drama will land in different places for people depending on your emotional frame of reference or religious standpoint. It doesn't ever become preachy, although isn't afraid to talk about Biblical elements.

Uitvlucht has its heart in the right place. Unfortunately, the genre balancing act makes it feel like two movies jammed together and while it moves with the best of intentions, it feels discordant and creates some uneasy interchanges. The book-ends for the story-within-a-story give the film another layer of interest, but almost seem like they were added as a clever way to salvage the film or extend the running time. Most audiences will appreciate the emotional currency and there's a good chance you'll enjoy it if you liked Tornado and the Kalahari Horse Whisperer.

The bottom line: Uneven