Last night, I saw Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.
The late Nelson Mandela is an icon. Next to Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Mandela, represents the change many wish they could enact in the world, but few are willing to take the steps to make it happen.
The movie starts with brief clips of his childhood. As an adult, Nelson Mandela (Idris Elba) is a lawyer, trying to defend his clients in a country where the native blacks are second class and the whites have all of the power. He is initially hesitant to join the African National Congress, but circumstances change his mind. After he is charged with treason and thrown into jail for 27 years, his second wife, Winnie (Naomie Harris) is forced to raise their daughters by herself and deal with the constant assault by the police.
I will warn that the movie is long, it clocks in at 2 hours and 20 minutes. But the time is needed to tell this man’s story.
Elba completely transforms himself into Mandela. It’s as if he was born to play this character. Harris, as Winnie Mandela is also perfectly cast. Her transformation from being just an ordinary wife and mother to becoming a revolutionary in her own right is incredible. I wouldn’t be surprised, that when award season comes, the movie, as well as Elba and Harris receive numerous nominations and awards.
I highly recommend it.
Writergurlny 