Review of Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2008) by Guillermo D — 21 Feb 2011

Filmmakers Disney and Reticker here tell a simple, human story that illuminates the schisms that ripped a nation apart - allowing Taylor to divide and conquer - while also pointing to a way forward... Given that their subjects sought to broker negotiations between the various factions, it's apt the filmmakers should plump for sober, composed talking heads as the most fruitful approach.

You fear the story may well be bought up by anyone keen to give Queen Latifah another shot at the Oscar, but for the moment, the documentary does much to establish the heroism of those who effectively gave birth to a whole new country - women who might otherwise have been overshadowed by the more glamorous presence of Naomi Campbell at the Taylor war-crimes trial - while at the same time going some way to further underline that men who proclaim themselves masters of the universe will always, sooner or later, find their downfall in the fairer sex.