Heavy-handed and awkward in places, but moving too

Rating: 4/10 (24 December 2009)

Some moving and memorable scenes here, backed by excellent acting by the leads and many of the supporting actors.
Unfortunately, the movie was marred by somewhat choppy editing, in which characters seemed to appear and disappear for no good reason, and more important by heavy-handed explanatory sections near the beginning. Every line Morgan Freeman says, in a powerful role as Nelson Mandela, comes across as cumbersome and unnatural, as if he were speaking for a debate class. The natural flow of the plot was continually interrupted by long, gratuitous speeches.
It cannot be denied that many of the final scenes, and perhaps the whole last hour of the film, was powerful. But the first part seemed too didactic, and I had trouble following or caring about many of the numerous minor characters.