Patty is once again AWOL from the Chronicles. Ever the pro, our son Chris sits in again to render his opinion of:

SUMMARY:

It is 1999 in South Africa’s Sierra Leone. The mining of what are known as “conflict diamonds,” brings together a fisherman (Djimon Hounsou), a smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a journalist (Jennifer Connelly), each of whom pursues a different objective.

STEVE SAYS:

BLOOD DIAMOND is an epic telling of the story of how diamonds are harvested by the blood and sweat of slave labor. It will leave you breathless at the end, having traversed some very difficult territory along the way. Director Edward Zwick (GLORY, THE LAST SAMURAI) paints a vivid, searing picture with his camera. But if violence is off-putting to you, you’re liable to be watching the movie through splayed fingers. Zwick doesn’t skimp in his depiction of the savage violence that Africans inflicted on each other at this sad time in that continent’s history. That having been said, from what I have heard of Mel Gibson’s APOCALYPTO, it leaves BLOOD DIAMOND in the dust, violence-wise.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Danny Archer, a self-serving Rhodesian-born smuggler of diamonds, who is out for the big score. In this case, it is an enormous pink diamond, uncovered by Solomon Vandy, (Djimon Hounsou), a poor fisherman who has been separated from his family and pressed into slavery. For DiCaprio, this has been a stellar year, having turned in Oscar-worthy performances in two films, BLOOD DIAMOND and THE DEPARTED. Indeed, Leo may find himself in competition with himself when the red carpet is rolled out in March. While it’s a tough call, I would vote for him in this role, which is multi-layered and complex. This performance puts him at the top of the heap among actors of his generation. He has a dazzling command of his craft and star quality to boot.

Hounsou is also a gifted actor who projects enormous strength without even having to open his mouth. His portrayal of a man ripped from his family and forced into servitude will leave you with nothing but admiration for him. Hounsou first gained notice in Steven Spielberg’s AMISTAD, in a role for which he was nominated for an Oscar. It was initially thought that his thick African accent would limit his casting opportunities, but Hounsou has proven himself to be resilient and versatile and amassed an impressive list of credits.

Jennifer Connelly, as beautiful as ever, brings strength and integrity to her role of Maddy Bowen, a magazine journalist who becomes swept up in Archer’s quest for the diamond as well as Vandy’s valiant effort to be reunited with his family.

BLOOD DIAMOND serves to educate as well as entertain. Most people aren’t aware of where those beautiful rocks originate...and how they make their way to market. The viewer of this film leaves the theater with a much fuller knowledge of what happens between the time a diamond is created by nature and the point at which it ends up, cut and gleaming, in a setting on a bride-to-be’s finger. Of course, not all diamonds are covered by this tract. This film deals with“conflict diamonds” (stones originating in countries that are virtual battlefields). Once they make their way into the open market, it’s impossible to tell one from another. Many nations have signed agreements to ban conflict diamonds from the jewelry marketplace.

If you want to spend almost two and a half hours with BLOOD DIAMOND, you’ll come away from the experience both enlightened and entertained. It’s time extremely well spent.

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CHRIS SAYS:

BLOOD DIAMOND is simply a great film. It is a movie I am glad I saw and want to see again. It appears so real, the actors in this film are not actors at all. They are people. This is probably why BLOOD DIAMOND is so good.

I never lost interest in the engaging plot, which was more than slightly disturbing. The only thing that annoyed me was Di Caprio saying “Huh” after each sentence. But that was part of a Rhodesian accent, so more power to him.

The actors were great all around. Di Caprio did a performance that I personally think rivals his work in THE DEPARTED.  Everyone else’s performance was just as real and believable.

Overall, BLOOD DIAMOND is a must see. I give it.....(SUSPENSE!)...five totally blood-free kernels

And just in case I don’t do another review during the holiday season...Happy Holidays!

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