A Well-Paced Political Drama
4/4 stars

I love films that changes tone at the half-way mark and this is a fine example of that. The first half is more about the innocence of a young doctor, played splendidly by James McAvoy, and the second half is more about the demolition of that young doctor's innocence; the first half is also about the establishment of a leader's charisma, played very convincingly by Forest Whitaker, and the second half is the revelation of the leader's monsterous heart. I love this movie because it never ceases to be interesting; the fact that I'm interested in becoming a doctor and wanting to go to another country to help, which is the movie's palate, it really did get to me. I can't believe I put off watching this because I thought, "Great. Another history lesson from the movies." But I'm slowly learning that such a genre contains a hidden power that is worth discovering because it makes its audiences want to become a better people.

Review by Franz Patrick