Posted by Harmonia (A) on January 06, 2009 at 13:35:54

In Reply to: RE: Didn't like it posted by DWPC on January 06, 2009 at 12:43:44

The film isn't about the fight against slavery or Newton's journey. It's about the struggles of an essentially private, moral and religious man who chose, against his own inclination, to engage with politics (and thus politicians, and the sausage making that goes along with that) to further a righteous cause.

The tone of Amazing Grace is low key, which adds a lot to its charm for me. And it's beautifully shot, art directed and scored. It boasts fine performances from some of my very favorite British actors, Ioan Gruffidd, Ciaran Hinds, Michael Gambon, Albert Finney, and up and comer Benedict Cumberbatch, who is oustanding as Pitt The Younger.

I closely identified with the movie's participatory message - that good citizens must engage with the political process to effect change - it's not enough to disagree with policies, and the nastiness of the scoundrels and Carl Roves of the world doesn't excuse us from doing the right thing. AG's release was a year or two early in the US, but pertinent nonetheless for the 200th anniversary of the passage of the British act portrayed in the film.

Newton's story doesn't fit with the movie's theme of working within the system. His quite dramatic history, epiphany and subsequent atonement is ripe for theatrical presentation, but it wouldn't fit here, structurally or thematically. That's another story for a different movie, one that the AG screenwriter is also interested in exploring, BTW. It was actually Apted, who wanted to make a political film, who steered the project toward Wilberforce. (How do I know? I talked with Apted after the North American Premier at the Heartland Film festival. Food was excellent at the reception too.)

AG doesn't hit all the notes it aims for but it succeeeds well enough IMO to be a recommendation.

Edits: 01/06/09