BEST film of 2006 - why wasn't this nominated?

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2007)

Why was THIS not nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay? Easily the best film I've seen all year, if not for several years, and I AM a picky moviegoer. First of all, the script was truly excellent. The plot worked, the characters were real and 3-dimentsional, and the interplay between the three main characters made the whole thing really spark. Added to that, the acting was first-rate throughout: not just the leads but ALL the characters. Secondly, I loved that the movie makers were unafraid to show what really went on in Sierra Leone at that time. The child soldier parts were harsh, but you owe it to yourself to see this. The cinematography was excellent, and the juxtaposition of such beautiful scenery as a background to horrific events served well to highlight just how shocking the atrocities there really were. This was one of the few films I watched again the next day, and picked up lots of small parts I'd missed the first time round (minor nit: some of the actors mutter a bit a times, so you can easily miss things people say) - but you'll want to watch it a second time anyway. The parts I wanted to come back to the most were always to do with the interplay between the characters. An excellent, excellent film.