A thriller with a conscience

Rating: 7/10 (14 October 2008)

"Blood Diamond" takes place in Sierra Leone and tells the story of an unlikely alliance between a smuggler (DiCaprio) and a fisherman (Hounsou), the latter of whom hid a valuable diamond during his forced stint in the rebel controlled diamond mines. Each has a different plan for the diamond: One wants to make his fortune and escape while the other is bent on being reunited with his family.
The cast is a fine one with multiple Oscar nominees Leonardo DiCaprio & Djimon Hounsou leading the way while Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly's also along for the ride. Personally I'm not much of a fan of Connelly but DiCaprio & Hounsou are eminently reliable. That being said, I'm not sure if I completely buy DiCaprio as a South African but that's subject to debate.
The storyline is pretty exhilarating stuff though it does have a somewhat manufactured, Hollywood-ized feel. If you expect a realistic exploration of the diamond-fueled conflict in Sierra Leone then I would advise you to look elsewhere since this film is more action-oriented. That, of course, isn't necessarily a bad thing but the semi-strained credulity doesn't exactly work in favour of the film's more serious points.
The direction by Edward Zwick is well executed and captures the action admirably. The visuals are attractive though not particularly remarkable. I can't recall any specifics about the score but since it was by seven time Oscar nominee James Newton Howard that suggests that it was unobtrusive rather than mediocre.
If you're a fan of the stars of this film or if you're looking for a thriller that balances action & drama then this film ought to entertain you. While it's not as good as the current rating (8.0) might lead you to believe it's certainly worth watching.