The Forgiven

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.

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.

An essential film explaining quite a bit of the appartheid and its dissolution. Good and evil fights.

Dont see the hate of this move. just a good movie about the human race!

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.