Review of Blood Diamond (2006) by Jabezt. — 23 Mar 2007

This is a generally entertaining movie, and the reason I gave it a 9 is DiCaprio. I generally dislike him and feel that he has been woefully miscast in films like "The Gangs of New York" and "The Aviator".

This performance is by far the best of his career, towering above his pathetic effort in "The Departed". He is dragged down a bit by the dopey role Jennifer Connelly plays, but he is totally believable in this role.

At its heart, this film focuses on human stories, and this apparently disappoints those that expected a political film. The mostly incomprehensible politics whirl around the characters in a way that is more realistic than a preachy documentary approach would have been.

Sappy in parts, predictable in others, but a stunning Leo and a beautiful and numbingly violent African background help make this movie worthwhile. See it.