The Forgiven

I almost did not watch this as IMDb is fairly reliable for me with ratings over/under 6. Not sure why this was a 5.7 however I am a fan of Forrest and Eric. They are equally great in their performance here. Subject matter is hard. This movie had me from start to finish and did not disappoint. The lead characters and supporting leads pull their weight in conveying perspectives from both sides of one of history's darker (and still ongoing) sagas.

Sometimes a film does not need to be original or show artistic flair when telling its story. This is particularly the case when portraying momentous and in this case tragic historic events. And critics always searching for "originality" or "flair" when reviewing a film can at times consider no context when truly understanding the intention of a movie such as this one.

A film can certainly do history justice by purely being authentic with strong and brave performances as is the case in The Forgiven.

A movie about the fallout of South Africa's transformation from apartheid to a fragile state of confusion and change, runs the risk of "trying too hard", embellishment or falling victim to basic flaws such as bad acting or poor story telling. However this film is executed perfectly and the performances from Whitaker and Bana were simply outstanding.

I had a job to recognise Forest Whittaker when the movie started because the make up was so good, and his normal facial expressions and mannerisms were just not there for this movie, quite rightly so to because he portrayed Desmond Tutu so very well.

Eric Bana's portrayal was so brilliant that you really hated the man and became engrossed in the interplay between him and Tutu, which in itself was interesting to watch.

I won't go into the details and spoil everything, but one of the scenes towards the end of the movie was one of the most heart-wrenching scenes I have ever seen in any movie, anywhere, and surely the actors must have received a standing ovation from the crew after it was filmed.

Don't be put off by the poor reviews, because this is a movie worth watching and you may well learn something along the way.

Well this is my first ever review of any film on imdb. This was a subtle yet powerful film. Played out with a sense of realism and not a glamorous melodrama. I really enjoyed this and the performances of all were great. Eric Bana again knocks it out of the park, and forrest well what can you say. The ending crept up like a patient cat waiting to strike you unexpected and... IT DID. Well worth a watch and something that can teach you a great deal about the power of the human soul to endure and forgive. Against all odds.

I for one didn't know much of the Apartheid 'era' (for want of a better word), but found his film to be a raw and confronting telling of the draconian state of affairs predominately black South Africans were forced to suffer through.

Whitaker's performance was flawless. Bana's was solid.

That last scene in the court room was bloody gripping.

Part of me would have liked to have seen Bana break at some point but I was left satisfied enough at how his story ended up being told.

It's not one you'd plan your night around but I felt it had enough grit and intrigue to earn its rating.