Time well spent

Rating: 10/10 (28 February 2012)

So after watching the movie for the first time a while ago I remember being wowed by this film. Then after being to Africa myself I understood some more of what insights the movie was trying to bring across to the audience. I found it to be accurate in the portrayal of what the conflict areas in Africa are like, even though it was a mild representation, you do get a real sense of what things are like in an area like Sierra Leone during a conflict or in a state of development. From a cinematic point of view, I found that the film's wardrobe, props, effects, location and casting to be spot on. The shot choices including the cliché majestic wide shots of sunsets, sunrises, open fields and lush landscapes throughout the movie gave to the viewer that typical "African" movie experience. I do find this a very over used method when shooting a movie based in Africa, but one that does get the desired results and keeps with the genre traditions. Acting was on the same caliber as the rest of the film; although Leo didn't have a spot on accent it was believable enough for myself to let it slide. Over all it was an enjoyable film, but my biggest complaint is the random love story that was thrown into the mix, I found it a bit unnecessary and took away from the main story.