Well-Acted, but Unevenly Written!

Rating: 6/10 (1 November 2015)

Based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Uzodinma Iweala, 'Beasts of No Nation' is well-acted, but unevenly written! The sad part is that this tale, as brutal as it is, it still isn't as powerful as it proclaims to be.
'Beasts of No Nation' is A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.
'Beasts of No Nation' is well-made, but not very well-written. And thats its minus point. Cary Joji Fukunaga's Adapted Screenplay doesn't engage entirely. I was definitely aghast at times, but the monotony put me off. Once Agu is taken under the wings of the villain, the sequences tend to repeat & what follows also, doesn't turn out to be gut-wrenching. Fukunaga's Writing needed to be more harrowing. His Direction, however, is realistic to the core.
Performance-Wise: Idris Elba as Commandant, is terrifying. This is a performance that Elba can boast for a long, long time. He creates a human in the monster he portrays & that's a really big achievement. Abraham Attah as Agu, is tremendous. The child slips into this difficult, disturbing part & portrays it without a single false note.
On the whole, 'Beasts of No Nation' needed to be more powerful. Watch it for the superb acting nonetheless.