Great, powerful movie

Rating: 9/10 (13 March 2016)

Great, powerful movie. Based on a true story, it demonstrates the barbarity of the slave trade in the 1800s, and the depths of human nature.
Solid script. Great direction by Steven Spielberg.
The cast don't put a foot wrong. Anthony Hopkins is superb as John Quincy Adams, and deserved his Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. His speech toward the end is worth the cost of admission alone. Matthew McConaughey reminds us that, before his performances consisted entirely of him showing off his abs, he was actually a bloody good actor (A Time to Kill, released one year earlier, also demonstrates this). Djimon Hounsou, Morgan Freeman and Nigel Hawthorne all put in great performances.
Worth watching for every possible reason - as a documentary, as a human drama, for the performances.