Genre: Political Drama / Thriller
Rating: R
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Ralph Fiennes & Rachel Weisz
Released: 2005

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Hollywood actors have often been known to take up political or humanitarian causes. They further their causes by a never ending slew of benefits and public speeches telling the public what they should be doing to help. Now for those who have not seen the movie, you must be asking, ?Why do you start off a review with a rant?? Let me list three movies since 2005: The Constant Gardener, Blood Diamond, & The Last King of Scotland. Of course, let us not forget the recent Madonna fiasco. What do they all have in common? All point at various human right violations in Africa ranging from the pharmaceuticals, blood diamonds, evil dictators, to corrupt adoption practices.

So it becomes quickly clear that this movie is politically motivated and the rating must adjusted accordingly. Political feelings aside for the moment, I really have mixed feelings about this movie. The artistic vision of the movie is great. The colors in the movie tend to look slightly washed out, giving us feelings of a vast landscape of a disposable continent. The cinematography helps maintain what would otherwise be a fairly lifeless drama/thriller.

The storyline revolves around Justin Quayle?s (Ralph Fiennes) quest to discover who killed his wife. The script shifts through three periods in Justin and Tessa?s (Rachel Weisz) life which gives viewers tidbits of information like a carrot on a stick. I like to call this the Memento device. This is a script writing technique to add spice to what is otherwise a dull storyline with linear characters. I will admit that this has a twist though, these shifts follow Justin?s revelations on what little he knew about his wife and how wrong he was about the things he thought he knew.

Now how about the political aspects? I am a self-described skeptic, thus I wonder about Hollywood?s agenda in this movie. I really do share Trey Parker and Matt Stone?s opinion about Hollywood actors and their being involved in politics, thus I do not like to embrace these movies wholeheartedly. At the same time, it does bring up the point that I do know is true, Africa truly is the world's dumping ground. This movie does bring up a good point that much of the aid that we give to Africa is to help relieve the guilt that we feel for ignoring an entire continent that has innumerable political, economic, social, and health problems.

Overall, this film is okay. As a movie, it really is fairly forgettable, but as a political message, it is an eye opener. Will it help the lives of those in Africa? The actors in the film set up a fund to help improve the lives of those in the area the film was made, thus that is a positive. Will it really open the eyes of those in the position to help? Probably not. Thus I give this film, three galaxies.