The National Daily World Enquiring Globe

LowComDom Performances Presents
The National Daily World Enquiring Globe


  • You Are Reading...Arts & Leisure
    •  Film Reviews
    •    »By Title
    •    »By Actor
    •    »By Director
    •    »By Year
    •    »Ratings
    •  Iris In
    •  Mojo Cam
  • Top of the News |
    •  Front Page
  •  Editorial |
    •  The Crapolla
    •  The Dictionary»
      •  A
      •  B
      •  C
      •  D
      •  E
      •  F
      •  G
      •  H
      •  I
      •  J
      •  K
      •  L
      •  M
      •  N
      •  O
      •  P
      •  Q
      •  R
      •  S
      •  T
      •  U
      •  V
      •  W
      •  X
      •  Y
      •  Z
  •  Jokes |
    •  Today's Jokes
    •  Archives
    •  RSS Feed
    •  Disclaimer
  •  Travel |
    •  Mexico
    •  Las Vegas
    •  Where's Svlad?
  •  Shopping |
    •  T-Shirts
    •  Sweat Shirts
    •  Mugs
    •  Caps
    •  Statement of Irresponsibility
  •  News |
    •  Press Releases
  •  Sponsors |
    •  The Ugly Mug
  •  Legal
    •  Privacy Policy
    •  Terms of Use

 Film Review - Amistad

There are privileges that go along with being the world's most successful director. You get to do films that Hollywood brass would never green-light for anyone else. Such is the case with Amistad, a story about the fight for freedom by a group of kidnapped Africans in the 1830s.

Steven Spielberg spearheads this monumental film. It is long for an American film, and it has an authentic feel to it. That feel should be what hauls you into the theater to see it. It is as if you were transported back to the 1830s: the costumes, settings and lighting making the illusion true.

The Africans are extremely well played by an ensemble cast. Each is speaking what I assume is an accurate African language. This cast is not just saying lines and playing stereotypes -- they are fleshing out the culture of their characters. This is key in keeping the Amistad illusion going.

There are several great performances, most notably Matthew McConaughey as the young lawyer arguing the case. Anthony Hopkins is fun as an older John Quincy Adams. Our focus on the Africans is held by Djimon Hounsou as Cinque. He is the human spirit breaking its chains. If Oscar doesn't shine on Mr. Hounsou, it's a crime.

Where Amistad fails is in the pace of the editing. I have nothing against longer films, but we must sit through three trials. It feels as if this film is repeating itself at times. Remove this problem and you have another masterpiece of filmmaking from Spielberg.

Slight Suction!

Film Facts

    Cast
  • Morgan Freeman
  • Nigel Hawthorne
  • Anthony Hopkins
  • Djimon Hounsou
  • Matthew McConaughey
  • David Paymer
  • Pete Postlethwaite
  • Stellan Skarsgard
  • Razaaq Adoti
  • Abu Bakaar Fofanah
  • Anna Paquin
  • Tomas Milian
  • Chjwetel Ejiofor
  • Derrick N. Ashong
  • Geno Silva
  • John Ortiz
  • Ralph Brown
  • Darren E. Burrows
  • Allan Rich
  • Paul Guilfoyle
  • Peter Firth
  • Xander Berkeley
  • Jeremy Northam
  • Arliss Howard
  • Willie Amakye
  • Luc Assogba
  • Mariah Campbell
  • Stephen Conteh
  • Monguehy Fanzy
  • Jimmy Fotso
  • Adekunle Ilori
  • Sheriff Kargbo
  • Saye Lah
  • Sylvestre Massaquoi
  • Samson Odede
  • Chike Okpala
  • Willie Onafesso
  • Samuel Pieh
  • Lansana Sawi
  • Abu Sidique
  • El Hadj Malik Sow
  • Lamine Thiam
  • Austin Pendleton
  • Daniel von Bargen
  • Rusty Schwimmer
  • Pedro Armendariz Jr.
  • Frank T. Wells
  • Michael Massee
  • Roy Cooper
  • Jake Weber
  • Victor Rivers
  • Joseph Kosseh
  • Steve Passewe
  • Sherly Acosta Williams
  • Matt Sarles
  • George Gerdes
  • Gerald R. Molen
  • Kevin J. O'Connor
  • Robert Walsh
  • Sean McGuirk
  • Tony Owen
  • William Young
  • Michael Riley
  • Leon Singer
  • Castulo Guerra
  • Harry Groener
  • Hawthorne James
  • Ingrid Walters
  • Harry Blackmun
  • Curtis Shields
  • Carlos Spivey
  • Charles Udoma
  • Andrew L. Josiah
  • Tony Onafesso
  • Peter Mansaray
  • Clarence Mobley
  • Brian Macon
  • Edward Appiah
  • Denver Dowridge
  • Paul Mwakutuya
  • Rory Burton
  • Samuel Orekhio
  • Omo Lara Tosin
  • Ransford Thomas
  • Juliette Darko
  • Issac Mayanja
  • Charlean Isata Bangalie
  • Roosevelt Flenoury
  • M.S. Kaleiwo
  • Tesfay Yohannes
  • George Kamara
  • Abdul-Fatai Balogun
  • Yaya Sissoko
  • Amadou Traore
  • Marlon Francis
  • Bundu Kamara
  • James Mosres
  • Daniel Reid
  • Seydou Coulibaly
  • Lawal Tajudeen
  • Lester Mombelly
  • Ibrahim Sesay
  • Jeremy Shelton
  • Andrew Shoemo
  • Prince Coke
  • Ahmed Bangura
  • Bernard Singleton
  • Desere Mondon
  • Baboucar Jobe
  • Vincent Lynne-O'Brien
  • Paul Macomber
  • Daniel Sutton

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Released in 1997

MPAA Rating: R

Reviewed by Mongo