The Forgiven (2018)
After the end of Apartheid, Archbishop Desmond Tutu meets with a brutal murderer seeking redemption.
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One of my all time favorites.
Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Forest Whitaker gives an incredible performance of Desmond Tutu. He takes the form of Tutu in the way he stands, the voice and the mannerisms. Her took his big self and made himself a near perfect recreation of the real Tutu (Real Tutu is 86!). There are some slow spots but the plot is quite good. Other remarkable characters and performances. Highly recommend.
Very intense movie. The intense confrontation between Whitaker's Tutu and Bana's imprisoned death squad policeman is very unsettling at first but progresses to the point where you feel their internal struggles. The acting by the South Africans playing a mother whose daughter disappeared and a teen prisoner was superb.
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.
The story of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be required viewing as far as I'm concerned. The actors and director clearly care about this story and they have told it well. I'm a white South African with family that were in the police and military during this time. I think this movie is incredibly well done. Don't worry about the camera angles and makeup; just watch, enjoy, and maybe even learn something. My favourite exchange: "Do you know what Paradise Lost is?" "A nightclub?" "No, you clutch plate. It's a poem... about me!" Cheers, Pierre