Synopsis:
Police officer Dirk Hendricks files
an amnesty application for Alex Mpondo, a member of the South African Parliament
who can't remember the torture he once endured as a captive political activist.
South African-born attorney Sarah Barcant (Hilary Swank), meanwhile, returns to
her homeland to represent Mpondo, as well as Steve Sizela, Mpondo's friend.
Brian's Rating:
B+ : I have been hitting the B+ rating fairly hard lately. A lot of movies
that I really liked watching, but have very low expectations of actually
watching again sometime in my life. This movie falls into that category.
The closest thing I can think to this movie is American History X. Like the
movie with Ed Norton, this movie's focus is on portraying the devastating effect
that racism can have on a family and a culture. It puts the practice of
apartheid in South Africa under a microscope are examines the close personal
damage it causes to a small town. It does an excellent job of showing the
blackness of man's heart in how power over another human can lead to very evil
acts. Like American History X, this movie focuses on these aspects of man, and
it is a little scary to watch. However, the comparison has to stop there
because each of these movies makes a completely different use of perspective to
accomplish the message they are delivering.
I thought the movie was well made. The acting was exceptional on the part of
the actor who played the part of Mpondo. The female lawyer is cute, and
intelligent, and reasonably well acted, and the supporting cast all does a good
job.
I have a lot of good things to say about it, and nothing specifically bad to say
about it. However, even though I cannot put my finger on it, this movie was
good, not great. Much of this audience will roast me, but I think the same
thing about American History X. It was entertaining, and thought provoking,
however I just do not see myself seeking this out again for another view.
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