An Important Message Of A Movie.

Rating: 7/10 (21 December 2018)

A most stark, grim but enlightening feature. Incredibly told through talented direction and performances.
This film has many strengths and is incredible heavy in many aspects. This films greatest asset is its masterful performances, must notably of course from Abraham Attah as Agu and Idris Elba as the Commondant. The juxtaposition between Agu'a innocence and Idris Elba's corrupting cruelty onto Agu and the other child soilders.
This film shines a spotlight onto a topic which is highly forgotten and overlooked by most world media. And this film hits hard into the commonality of all humankind, this film focuses on a child in the most desperate of situations, it evokes emotions of mother love, fatherhood, innocence and bemusement of a child learning the world. The film portrays these most fundamental themes to a superb level, and the message it portrays is so splendidly put to screen in a highly candid and realistic feeling and evokes great emotion from any viewer.
The screenplay and directorial class of this film are the fundamental seeds from which this feature stems. Unlike many Netflix features which seem to blur in monostyalistic tones and cinematography, this film has a distinct voice that I haven't seen from any other Netflix film, the fact that the director and screenplay differentiate themselves so much is a great achievement in and of itself, and displays the very unique voice this film portrays.
The performance of Abraham Atta as Agu is one of the best child performances I have ever seen, perhaps even the best. His portra displays the childhood innocence to tormented and tortured soilderhood which such prowess and emotion. Even only 30 minutes into the feature I was rooting heavily for him and the heartbreak of being separated from his mother. His performance never lets down or weakens, and is just as strong in both languages he uses.
Idris Elba as the 'Commondant' is also rather a unique performance. He is a highly intimidating figure who seems like a classic 'strong man' at first but becomes highly layered, he has fears for his position and yet acts like a 'father' to his men and yet still abuses them both mentally and physically in the most abhorrent ways. This is the kind of character who is present in mangy features but here is not clichèd, one feels true fear of him.
The cinematography as I had already stated is very distinct from most other Netflix motion pictures. It is extremely vibrant and deeply layered, the jungles feel dense and the towns compact yet there is so much sunlight and the colours are rich. This film doesn't feel bland at all, however some of the camera work is fairly standard in places. In parts it is truly magnificent, such as when Agu runs away from his town into the jungle or near the end in the trenches. But some parts feel fairly standard in particular towards the third act of the story.
This film has a very unique voice. And is a great achievement in raising awareness for a part of the world that is most overlooked and humanising those who suffer. The film deliberately does not give a specific name to where it takes place to not have the burden of pre-conceived opinions on what we think of Africa and is conflicts, this is a great strength into developing emotion within the narriative.
Although I must say that in parts the film it feels over stretched, and a little too long to where the focus is lost in places but still holds emotional weight. And of course some of the cinematography is fairly standard, along with a slew of secondary characters who have little effect on the narritiave and serve only to develop the main character but are weakened themsevelves.
Overall I give this film a 7/10, as I was not fully ready to brace the depth and emotion of the film, and the incredible weight it delivered, but this is not a flaw of the film. Some of the previously stated parts do weight against the film, it overstays it's welcome just a little too much. But overall is a must see for anyone interested and does a great service in humanising and raising awareness against the evil that takes place in our world as is often forgotten.