Spring Break
DVD Review: "Blood Diamond"
Issue date: 3/23/07 Section: The Edge
- Page 1 of 1
Leonardo DiCaprio is back from hibernation, ladies and gentlemen, and between his sizzling role in "The Departed" and this newly released film, "Blood Diamond," I can barely remember how cheesy he was in "Titanic."
The coolest thing about this film is that it's very much a true story about how your diamonds are found and made.
It turns out it's a horrible process that needs to be brought to public view, and thanks to this movie it now is getting the attention the issue demands.
The two lead characters, played by DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou, are both from Africa, but in different ways.
DiCaprio plays Danny Archer, an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe, and Hounsou plays Mende fisherman Solomon Bo. Both men are struggling with the chaos of the 1990s.
After Bo does some prison time for smuggling a rare pink diamond, Archer tracks him down to find the diamond for himself. Both men have different motives, but regardless of their purposes they are working together to find the diamond Bo hid.
Jennifer Connelly makes an appearance as an American journalist covering the story of the diamond smuggling that no one knows about when they purchase their "blood diamonds" in America.
Connelly does a decent job in this role, but nothing too memorable ("House of Sand and Fog" … that was memorable).
DiCaprio's main claim to fame right now is what I like to call his "angry eyes."
Now that he's returned to the scene of big pictures, he has this angry volatile manner, and he's featuring it nicely with the explosive roles he's choosing.
One thing that's a drawback here is his Australian accent - not that I could do any better, but it still sounds pretty fake. Nonetheless, his performance is a good one despite the fact that his character is an asshole (which isn't that hard for guys to do).
The real star of the show here is Hounsou, and it's about time if you ask me.
You'll recognize this intense actor from recent films "Eragon," "The Island" and "Constantine," always as a supporting actor. His depiction of the struggle to live in Africa is realistic and heart-breaking. Without him this film would be nothing.
Overall, it's a good watch and a good point; thanks to this movie people are now checking diamonds before they buy them to make sure they aren't "blood diamonds."
The filming and scoring leaves something to be desired, and I can't say the plot is going to be a perky choice for your Friday night, but it's all worth it in my opinion. It's a film along the lines of "Hotel Rwanda," a terribly depressing watch but a necessary and well-done film. Check it out.
-Sara Gregory
edge staff
The coolest thing about this film is that it's very much a true story about how your diamonds are found and made.
It turns out it's a horrible process that needs to be brought to public view, and thanks to this movie it now is getting the attention the issue demands.
The two lead characters, played by DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou, are both from Africa, but in different ways.
DiCaprio plays Danny Archer, an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe, and Hounsou plays Mende fisherman Solomon Bo. Both men are struggling with the chaos of the 1990s.
After Bo does some prison time for smuggling a rare pink diamond, Archer tracks him down to find the diamond for himself. Both men have different motives, but regardless of their purposes they are working together to find the diamond Bo hid.
Jennifer Connelly makes an appearance as an American journalist covering the story of the diamond smuggling that no one knows about when they purchase their "blood diamonds" in America.
Connelly does a decent job in this role, but nothing too memorable ("House of Sand and Fog" … that was memorable).
DiCaprio's main claim to fame right now is what I like to call his "angry eyes."
Now that he's returned to the scene of big pictures, he has this angry volatile manner, and he's featuring it nicely with the explosive roles he's choosing.
One thing that's a drawback here is his Australian accent - not that I could do any better, but it still sounds pretty fake. Nonetheless, his performance is a good one despite the fact that his character is an asshole (which isn't that hard for guys to do).
The real star of the show here is Hounsou, and it's about time if you ask me.
You'll recognize this intense actor from recent films "Eragon," "The Island" and "Constantine," always as a supporting actor. His depiction of the struggle to live in Africa is realistic and heart-breaking. Without him this film would be nothing.
Overall, it's a good watch and a good point; thanks to this movie people are now checking diamonds before they buy them to make sure they aren't "blood diamonds."
The filming and scoring leaves something to be desired, and I can't say the plot is going to be a perky choice for your Friday night, but it's all worth it in my opinion. It's a film along the lines of "Hotel Rwanda," a terribly depressing watch but a necessary and well-done film. Check it out.
-Sara Gregory
edge staff
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