When he passed at the end of last year, the film based on his best-selling book Long Walk to Freedom was premiering as the news broke, which was a rather tragic coincidence that almost set the film up for further scrutiny now the great man himself was no longer around. Now when I say unravel, I don’t mean in a terrible, unwatchable way. But sometimes, it’s hard to tell whose story you’re supposed to be watching, as the focus seems to be on Winnie: her story, struggle, and eventual downfall. She was and is a complicated, flawed and interesting character, and there’s no doubt that she’s a vital component of the Mandela story, but sometimes it did feel that the film focused on her a little too much. With so much to cover with the man himself, time could have been put to better use padding out the nuances of his story, which felt slightly rushed in some respects. Saying that, though, Naomie Harris is spectacular as Winnie Mandela and her descent from infatuated young woman to hardened political protester who ended up going against the peaceful outlook of her husband is fascinating to watch. The anguish and change that Harris portrays as the movie progresses is exceptional. The story of Mandela’s life is something that even the most talented of Hollywood writers would find difficult to think up and so trying to fit it into a two hour film was always going to be a challenge. Although the movie itself gives you a great overview of how he became and man the world ended up respecting for his vigour and hopefulness, you almost wish it was longer to take more detailed and in-depth look at how he truly became the father of a nation. Blu-Ray Extras Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
