A truly awe-inspiring movie with a powerful message

Rating: 10/10 (20 April 2017)

I remember seeing this movie when it came out in cinema. To give you a glimpse into my life, i was suffering from an eating disorder at the time and was very very ill at the time. My dad took me to the cinema in an attempt to try and connect with me. The story of a father doing everything he could to get his son back from the arms of an African warlord was emotional enough on its own. When my dad said that he would do the same to get me back I truly broke down and it was a turning point in my life. From that point I got the care I needed and am now writing this review as a final year medical student in at Cambridge university. How things change, huh?
Well, back to the movie. The story line hinges on the discovery of a huge diamond that was hidden by a father who had his son taken by an African warlord. When the DiCaprio's character learns of this, he uses the father to get the diamond, whilst the father uses DiCaprio's influence on various means of transportation to get his son back. A sort of mutual agreement. The journey these characters go on from there, both physically and emotionally, was just incredible. The script was well-written and the acting was truly some of the best I had ever seen. In particular, DiCaprio's accent made me believe he had been South African born and bred.
Honestly, I cannot fault this movie. Maybe it is because it has such a special place in my heart, but I think it is more than that. I never cry watching a movie, but there is always one scene (near the end) that gets me every time. There is a reason why I make an effort to watch this movie at least once a year - it is a masterpiece.