Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

It’s hard to say anything bad about this movie. Nelson Mandela’s life story is definitely worth telling. And it even seems that Idris Elba must have been born for this role. What’s worse, however, are some opinions that Nelson publicly espoused and that some people might have a problem with. Same as when Masaryk didn’t ask the Germans in the border regions and simply decided the borders of Czechoslovakia, or when Havel became the first president of the Czech Republic and everybody was criticizing him for being too humane. Nelson also had good intentions for South Africa and he went through personal hell in order to make it possible for a country he dreamed of to be established. But it’s true what they say that the power of a country lives and dies with the ruler. I mean there is something nice about all this, but I do believe that a lot of people from over there would think differently. What I’ve been told by a friend who lived there for half a year and who got into a couple of bad situations makes me think about whether the way the country works today is exactly what Nelson was really fighting for or whether things were a bit different… (05.10.2014)

A standard and solidly executed biography of a prominent figure, who some may stop confusing with Morgan Freeman because of this film. Idris Elba delivers a standout performance, yet I can't help but feel that the film is executed rather conventionally, lacking anything particularly distinctive. It has a strong story, one that is just as impactful without this particular film adaptation. (27.04.2014)