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| Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela |
The well-acted new drama "Mandela: Walk to Freedom" comes at an unfortunate time, following the recent death of South African leader and pioneer Nelson Mandela. It has a lot to live up to, and in spite of its strong performances and inspiring message, it tries to fit in as much as possible, becoming a Cliff's Notes version of the renowned leader's life. "Mandela: Walk to Freedom" is based on Mandela's 1994 autobiography of the same name, and spans a considerable amount of time, from Mandela's (played by British actor Idris Elba of the recent "Thor" films) childhood to early adult to prison time to South Africa's first black President, focusing on his rise to power and his marriage to Winnie ("Skyfall's" Naomie Harris). Directed by Justin Chadwick ("The Other Boleyn Girl") and written by William Nicholson ("Gladiator"), the film has big shoes to fill but suffers from a scattershot script that skims the surface of its larger-than-life source; it would've been more effective as a mini-series or focused on one aspect of Mandela's life, particularly his prison time that so shaped his views as a leader. As a result, there's a significant disconnect as Mandela transitions from violence to non-violence with little explanation why (it would've been nice to see the film explore his relationship with his jailer on a deeper level). The chief highlight of "Walk to Freedom" is the excellent, believable turns from from Elba, Golden Globe-nominated for his performance here, and the lovely Harris as his radiant but strong-willed wife Winnie. "Mandela: Walk to Freedom" squeezes in too much in its overlong running time, though it really wouldn't take much for us to see the courage in someone like Mandela, who struggled for the freedom of many. Mandela was a great man, but this disappointing film doesn't do him or his ideals justice.
Wes's Grade: C+
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