Once you get past the deafness, Beyond Silence is little more than a self-consciously heartwarming story of childhood and teen rebellion. Despite a solid performance by Seago, who's vulnerable and sympathetic as Lara's father, the film indulges in overt sentimentality, blunt metaphor, and predictable plot twists. That it was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar speaks more to the Academy's fondness for disability movies than to the merits of Link's film.