The Forgiven Movie Review

The Forgiven Movie Review

I was at the advanced screening of The Forgiven movie last night, and yes I was alone , no Marcus to watch it with me. He was sick and feverish, I was having chills coz of the cold aircon and nobody to cuddle with in the cinema. I know , I’m so cheesy mushy, but we’ve reviewed 23 movies together (plus other movies we’ve watched without reviewing) since last year and seriously I don’t know how to watch a movie without him anymore.

Anyway, The Forgiven is a movie staring Eric Bana and Forrest Whitaker. According to the movie poster it’s about a play about the Archbishop and the Anti-Christ. At first I thought it was a horror flick but I was wrong. Well,in a sense it is actually about the horrors people in South Africa suffered before the Nelson Mandela times when color discrimination was unbelievably inhumane.

The story was based in real life but the names and characters was changed for the movie and I guess security of the people involved.

The Forgiven movie started really slow, I was about to leave because it was all dialogue and all serious talk. Although I was impressed with the accent of Eric Bana and the makeup they did with Forest Whitaker.

It was all dialogue but the turning point made the movie really heart breaking. It was the first time in a long time that I have cried inside the cinema. There was this one intense scene that will truly squeeze the life out of you! It was so intense . I’m glad I was born at a better time now . I mean it’s still bad but not that gruesome anymore. People can speak ,people can fight, people have rights.

Anyway
INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE MOVIE “The Forgiven”
The post-apartheid story, Written and Directed by Academy Nominated Roland Joffe and Co-written by Michael Ashton was based on Ashton’s play The Archbishop and The Antichrist. The film thriller drama follows Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s (Whitaker) work as President of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa, and his struggle with a brutal murderer Piet Blomfeld (Bana) over concession and redemption.

Described as a story of redemption and forgiveness this film was shot completely in Cape Town, South Africa. Mostly filmed in and around the city, the film crew on many occasions had to endure long days and nights in one of the world’s most dangerous prison facilities, Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison, where Nelson Mandela himself spent his years between 1982 and 1988.

Based on the play, The Archbishop and The Antichrist, Roland Joffe, together with Michael Ashton wrote the film’s original screenplay. Craig Baumgarten together with local South African producing partner Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat from Light and Dark Films, and with blessings from the Archbishop himself.

“Archbishop Tutu’s story is poignant and timely” added producers Craig Baumgarten and Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat. “It reminds us of his gift of forgiveness and the healing it brings, and we are honored to tell this story.” Distributed by Crystalsky Multimedia. The Forgiven is now showing on SM Cinemas.

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