Blood Diamond (2006)

I agree, DeCaprio is fantastic in this role; deserving of the many accolades piled upon him from the critics. Much more violent and action packed than I expected. Something I always appreciate. But at the same time, the story was rich and layered, making for a very watchable film. Great supporting performances too.

As for the political and social messages: they didn't bother me. In fact, I felt they made some good points, even if they were overly dramatized.

Rating: B-

Invictus (2009)

A historically interesting and inspiring movie with heart, but far from perfect. The audience would have greatly benefited from a more thorough, yet simple explanation of the rules of rugby. Hard to follow and stay interested in the action on the field when you have no idea what’s going on. Mandela’s eye makeup was way overdone to the point it was distracting from Freeman’s performance.

The movie soundtrack was terrible, with one warbled “inspirational” song after another. I noticed someone in Eastwood’s family was in charge of the music during the credits. Clint is tone deaf, so it’s no surprise it runs in the family. The narrative felt mish mashed, trying to tell multiple stories at once, while giving attention to miniscule subplots that should have been edited out. And finally, the ending was a bit heavy handed. It felt like tears were going to be squeezed from my eyes whether I liked it or not. Too many tear inducing gimmicks.

Rating: C