This morning, there was this woman in front of me while waiting for the lift. I couldn’t help but notice the diamond on her ring. It reminded me of my long overdue review of Blood Diamond.

At first, I didn’t want to watch this movie. I have developed this allergy to anything starring Leonardo DiCaprio since that cheesy one about a sinking ship. But I didn’t have anything else to do last Holy Week so I finally did.

This is the third in the continuing series of movies about Africa that I’ve been watching. Before this there was Hotel Rwanda and The Last King of Scotland. This one is set in Sierra Leone. Yes, that’s in Africa.

Djimon Hounsou was a fisherman whose village was raided by rebels and was separated from his family. He was pressed into service panning for diamonds. He found a particularly big one which he stashed before he was imprisoned by government troops who raided the rebel mining camp.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a Rhodesian ex-soldier, ex-mercenary, diamond smuggler whose package was confiscated when he was caught and imprisoned. He knew he had to pay up for it. He learned about the big diamond and saw it as his salvation: his payment for the lost package as well as his ticket out of Africa.

As they journeyed to recover the diamond with Sierra Leone exploding around them, you are given a glimpse of the diamond trade and the realities of Africa: From the demand– women who want their fairy tale weddings; To the middlemen who manipulate the market to keep prices up; and finally to the source including that of so called “conflict diamonds”– diamonds from strife-torn areas whose proceeds are used to finance war, including the use of child soldiers and drugs.

A surprisingly interesting, if a bit gloomy, movie.

Rating: 3/5

Just found out that Pathfinder is still about to show in the US. I fear this is too late but I must warn you: Don’t watch it! You’re just going to regret it. In a moment of poor judgement, I watched it and did. My impression was it’s trying to be so many things all at once. It tried to be like Apocalypto by setting up in pre-Columbian America and by using Nordic for Vikings. But it fell short because it didn’t do the same for the Native Americans speakers. Like, 300, it traces its roots to graphic novels. It tried offering the same adrenaline-pumping action. Unlike 300, it failed miserably. The action scenes were absolutely lame. Another indication it tried to be like 300 is what seems to be an attempt at approximating the look and feel of a graphic novel. It failed in that, too. So what’s good about this movie? NOTHING.

Rating: 1/5