Slave Courtroom Drama.

Rating: 7/10 (18 September 2013)

Steven Spielberg directs this authentic looking film that tells the story of African tribal leader Cinque(Djimon Hounsou) who is sold into slavery by another tribe and is on a ship from Cuba to the U.S. when he leads a revolt against their cruel captors, killing them. The crew is later captured and put on trial as being murderous runaway slaves, when an abolitionist lawyer(played by Mathew McConaughey) comes to their defense, but, despite winning the case, is undermined by a presidential appeal, so turns to former president John Quincy Adams(played magnificently by Anthony Hopkins) to plead the case before the U.S Supreme Court.
Good drama has fine acting by all, harrowing ship-board recreation of the slave revolt, though has its fair share of dramatic lulls as well, though does have a memorable end.