Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)

Yes. Idris elba was amazing. But we knew that going in.What we didn't know is that this movie was going to be frustratingly focused on his early life and mistakes to the extent id rather be watching an episode of friends.Poor script.

There have been numerous films, television programs, and documentaries that have discussed the life of Nelson Mandela. Not too mention the treasure trove of books, biographies, and interviews you can read and watch detailing his beliefs and politics. And Justin Chadwick's narrative film 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' is yet another addition to the ever expanding universe of Mandela. Adapted by William Nicholson from Mandela's autobiography of the same name, this two and a half hour film seems like a long slow walk indeed, with too much to cover and some cheese sprinkled here and there. Although actor Idris Elba's performance of Mandela is one of the best I've ever seen, this long walk could have been better.We all know, or we should all know Mandela's story by now. He was an iconic, great and one of the most important people not only for South Africa, but for the world. His 27 year unjust prison sentence is just a small part of the film as we first meet Mandela in the frontier hills of South Africa being born. But as quickly as he is born we skip ahead to see him as a young lawyer, representing his clients, and even winning cases.But we soon see how South Africa turns into a white supremacist state, where all blacks have very little rights and are forced to move to shoddy housing away from everyone. Of course we see his rise as leader in the ANC (African National Congress), and a few of their plots to over throw the government. It is here, where we see Mandela's first marriage go down the tubes due to his affairs he has, as well as his work. Mandela and his fellow comrades are eventually captured and unjustly sentenced to life in prison.From this point, we slowly see Mandela age with gray hairs and wrinkles, all the while still having a strong presence, as he can move stone, rock, as well as people's views on freedom. His own views change from taking a violent approach to becoming an equal citizen to a peaceful approach. And Elba does this with grace and ease, as we believe everything he says. His body language and presence is awe-inspiring. His second wife Winnie (Naomie Harris) is a powerhouse here, as we see her take a separate path from Mandela, as she rallies people behind her and her husband's views, although her views are strictly violent, whereas Nelson's are to take a peaceful approach.What this movie has going for it is the performances by Elba and Harris. They really do carry this movie, but only so far. There are some elements that Chadwick added that seem to hit us on the nose to much and should have made us feel sad with tears, but this never truly happens, and it comes across as corny. This is not the ultimate Nelson Mandela movie, but it might be the ultimate performance of Mandela yet. For those of you who don't know a lot about this powerful figure in history, this is a good starting point, but if you are somewhat familiar, then I'd look elsewhere, although seeing Edris Elba as Mandela is a must.

Idris Elba is forceful in the title role. He is commended for his excellent imitation of the way Nelson Mandela spoke. Elba is equally matched by Naomie's Winnie. We see her change from a rather passive social worker to a militant, also fully devoted to the cause of freedom for the black people of South Africa.The film never explained how Mandela was able to rise above his very humble beginnings to become both an attorney and eloquent speaker. It did show how he brought into the ANC movement and when imprisoned, he mellowed a great deal in seeking accommodation with Caucasians.Prison certainly humbled Mandela as he began to see that only peace could alleviate such an adverse situation.

If you didn't know Idris Elba before this, you will remember his name after this. Mandela you knew (most likely), but if you hadn't read up on him or followed his his life in general, you might not know some of the things that are displayed here. And he's not only shown as being "good" (though that term is always something that can be argued about) in the movie either.Every man has downsides and every man will have flaws. That doesn't change the fact that Mandella did something great and was a voice that could not be silenced. This lead to family issues obviously and those are portrayed here too. It's hard to get all the details and since this is a movie there is some freedom (no pun intended) in the storytelling. But overall this could be watched in History classes in School.