Winnie

After watching movie Winnie Madikizela Mandela, I wondered how much Winnie, the main character, narrated on this movie about herself. Winnie was referred to as the Mother of the Nation, she was statues and beautiful, very intelligent and warrior spirited. Yet so much was left out about her diplomacy, about how she traveled around the world from country to country to gain world support for the release of her husband Nelson Mandela. The greatness of the woman was laminated to half her greatness in this movie. I remember when Winnie came to United States to meet to appeal the world be aware of apartheid and unjust imprisonment of many South Africans under apartheid. People were naming their children after Winnie and Nelson because of her image, which I must mention was distained. The population of South Africa including Nelson are under the influence of apartheid also Stokholm AND Helsinki syndromes.

This biopic about the first wife of iconic and legendary South African statesman and apartheid adversary Nelson Mandela, stars Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) as the title character who was raised in a strict, rural upbringing with a schoolteacher father who was disappointed with the fact that she was his sixth daughter. Winnie worked hard to win his approval and when she was of age she moved to the city to pursue medical school -- which was unusual in a sexist, apartheid South Africa. It was here that she met (and almost reluctantly) fell in love with the young political revolutionary Mandela (Terrence Howard - Hustle & Flow) who was already an "enemy" of the white government for believing in equality.

The film is rather shaky in that it doesn't really appear to know how it wants to portray Winnie and while an Oscar-winner (in a good performance with one STELLAR, knockout scene), Hudson does appear to have a limited acting range. After Nelson is arrested and incarcerated, Winnie also faces some horrible and unjust, inhumane abuses at the hands of the South African government. Once she is freed she attempts to carry his mantle but does so with some very questionable actions that have today tainted her legacy.

The film perhaps wants to be overly honest but in doing so Winnie doesn't come across as a winning figure for such a biopic. She is quite polarizing and the "hero tone" the film presents is rather conflicting. This could possibly all be intentional on the filmmaker's part.

Different time ... different place. She was strong and she was not broken and she did NOT give up. Like her or not -- she was no Nelson -- but I wish this movie had been better.

I was surprised at the negative tone of other reviews. I thought this was an excellent piece of work --- acting --- production --- accuracy. I wondered whether it was going to glamourize Mandella with an unrealistically positive spin. But no, it does a good job of illustrating the unfortunate turn her life took in the later years of the South African struggle. She ended up as a vindictive,foul mouthed, autocratic drunk. But you understand how that came to be after her long ordeal, which was powerfully portrayed. I also was surprised to find that this was largely a Canadian production. It had none of the pretentious unoriginality that marks so many Canadian films, especially those done for Canadian cable television. It was believable, watchable and informative!

It is a week since the death of Mandela that I decided to have a marathon of all things biographical of the great man. I started with Winnie and was not disappointed but was not all that thrilled. If you are looking for something to match Richard Attenborough's 'Cry Freedom' perhaps this is not one, but it sure makes a good start. I'd hoped it would match Luc Besson's 'The Lady', in its execution I guess it does but not so much on the script. Everything is only lightly and briefly touched; Winnie's childhood, her time in Jan Hofmeyer School, her courtship with Madiba, her struggle while incarcerated.

This movie does not really talk about the struggles of the couple and little light is shed on Winnie's role as a mother and her contribution within the family unit itself. If anything the movie a great reminder that behind a great man, there is always that crazy woman who makes sure all is taken care of.

One scene that makes most impact on me personally is the time when the policemen raided her house after the wedding and ruined the piece of wedding cake she had saved. Nothing is introduced on the reason why the piece is saved; whether this is customary or for any sentimental value.

Yet 7/10 must be given solely for the spectacular performances of the actors, each bringing great life to the, otherwise flat, story. The makeup team had done an amazing job trying to match both Jennifer Hudson's and Terrence Howard's appearances to match the figures they are portraying. Hat's off to the production team.

Winnie Mandela (Jennifer Hudson) is the sixth daughter to a disappointed father hoping for a son. She tries to prove her worth chaffing at the paternalistic culture. Her father is the son of the chief and a ground breaking teacher. She studies to be a social worker and excels. She is fascinated by Nelson Mandela (Terrence Howard) and catches his eye. They are soon married but they are always hounded by the cruel De Vries (Elias Koteas). Mary Botha (Wendy Crewson) hires her despite the troubles and becomes her supporter.

This is such a bland uninteresting biopic. With such an amazing complicated subject, this has no intensity. It has no life. The story has been simplified into a paint-by-number biopic. It's as if it's boiled down to highlights of a compelling life. It uses way too many montages. Terrence Howard is especially hamstrung by the script while Jennifer Hudson takes a backward step with her performance. Elias Koteas is a great actor but the movie appears to suggest that all of Mandela's problems stem from an over-zealous persecutor. Winnie is one of the most compelling characters in our modern history and this treats it all like a melodrama. I'm left a little uncertain about Hudson's skills after this. However I put most of it down to a bad script.