Djimon Hounsou steals the show

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2007)

I saw Blood Diamond a couple months ago in theaters.
It's the story of Solomon, a fisherman (Hounsou) who loses his family, and then is sent to a diamond digging camp. It takes place during the infamous civil war of Sierra Leone. Men who don't give up the diamonds are killed. But he stumbled upon a gigantic diamond. Luckily, an attack happens at the same time, so he's able to safely bury it. Through multiple events, a diamond smuggler (Dicaprio) finds out about the diamond, wants it for his own reasons, and forces Solomon to lead him back to where he buried it. All Solomon really wants is to find his family, and he needs the Diamond in order to make an exchange.
I can say that I think Djimon Hounsou may have given one of the best performances of the year. It's a shame he got snubbed. I also enjoyed the juggling of action and drama. Edward Zwick is probably the best at making a movie have good action scenes, and also be plot driven. The Last Samaraui is okay, and Glory is amazing.
I also did like the whole relationship between Leonardo Dicaprio and Djimon Hounsou. Unlike most films, where two enemies traveling together become friends, these two still dislike each other, a more realistic portrayal.
While overall it is a decent movie, I did walk away with one complaint that almost ruins the movie. First of all, Jennifer Connelly is an unnecessary addition only for the romantic plot. The romantic plot is unnecessary and has nothing to do with the story. I would have left her out completely.
I also would have narrowed down the number of lucky breaks. In the film, a lot of times the characters survive because they get lucky. Luck is used accidentally too much in films. The only film that does it well is Match Point, which is about luck.
Anyway, it is a good film, not perfect, but it is interesting to watch.