two emerging trends in film appear here

Rating: 6/10 (22 March 2007)

This film brings forth two distinct recent trends in Hollywood large film production with big names and especially those that have some moral implication: the tendency for actors/actresses to have undue influence on their role and the similar strive for innovative approach to moral issues. Distracting, is the overt "influence" that Dicaprio and Connelly have on their roles. This detracts from the movie as they appear to have invented the roles and lines themselves, separate from putting their own spin on a role. The well carried and well spoken Maddy as played by Connelly, who would rather run from gunfire than drink latte's, is able to maintain a hygiene and attractiveness as a journalist, unlike the role of humanitarian worker. Dicaprio plays yet another role(Danny) where the peak of his introspective/moralistic/philosophic thinking during likely his "off time" is displayed through his acting profession and in effect on screen by wooing another women -It never fails (titanic, departed, blood diamond come readily to mind); epitomizing this claim and with Hollywood's continuous search for new screenplay endings, his dying words to Connelly attempt at encapsulating a potential lifelong relationship into "I'm glad to have met you." It feels as if Dicaprio either wrote his lines or pretends psychologically to have come up with them himself, this is not to be confused with good acting. Though the South African accent is very tough and he assumes it well despite the popular contrary opinion. Hounson, the uneducated yet wise savior in the end (Solomon), as with his prior claim to fame, postures in the courtroom. The attempted refugee and then captive worker is pigeonholing himself into the title of screaming / crazed hero. Apart from the stars, it is the spreading of the true story of Africa that wins, right? We guess, yet the spreading of such word will never stop the demand for diamonds; it may even strengthen it according to the reasoning in "Freakonomics," for the film appears to take on the role of informing those who would never inform themselves.