the lives of three strangers are changed dramatically over illegal diamond smuggling, grotesquely but truthfully shown in this motion picture.

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2007)

the fates of three complete strangers (a diamond smuggler, a reporter, and a poor farmer) intermingle into one, each changing each other for the better. the storyline and development of the main characters has you sincerely caring about each person, && the ending will leave you speechless. at least i was.
first and foremost, you have to go into this movie knowing it's completely realistic. the savage violence depicted in this film happens in real life. it's shockingly truthful, albeit horrifying to see.
leonardo dicaprio's performance was nothing short of stellar. and he gets my complete respect for doing what i thought was impossible -- feigning a zimbabwe accent. as i have family there and have stayed there for a while, i can tell you it's dead on accurate.
jennifer connolly's character, maddy is actually believable despite some slams. she had a minor role, so i don't know why people were expecting something breathtaking from her. not saying that her performance was bad, quite the contrary. and her chemistry with danny is completely realistic, think about it, two attractive people in a place like that? at least i found it believable. and who says pretty people can't care too? it actually makes perfect sense.
the movie itself is more than good, in that heart-wrenching kind of way. i might be biased as my own roots are from "danny archer's" homeland, but either way it's amazing. to those that don't know about these kinds of issues, it's an eye-opener. to those like myself who already knew the horrors of third world countries, it just gives you an image to have in your mind. i even know people that have had the same thing happen to them that happened to danny's character with regards to his parents. (my uncle for one.) the story is just so damn real, and gets to me because of this. it's not just Hollywood bs, it's LIFE.
i've heard that people think danny's character is unrealistic because people like him wouldn't want to leave Africa, that "god forsaken continent." but that's not true, heck, my parents did it. and that's part of leonardo's character's development -- he goes from passionately wanting to get out, to realizing what home was. i find it beautiful, and that's really what got to me. danny's line, "i'm right where i'm supposed to be" in his moment of death was depressing, but perfect.
it's also quite funny at times, but at the core is a serious message that you have to get. i don't think anyone can really look at diamonds the same after watching this movie. the character "solomon" is wonderfully done, the perfect picture of what happens to people in these third world countries. it puts things into perspective, and makes you think inwardly. that's a sign of a good movie. and it's easily the best i've seen in a long time.
i highly recommend it.