What an outstanding film!Sometimes I think the simpler, less complicated, movies are better than those with convoluted plots or last minute twists (which are excellent don't get me wrong) and Amazing Grace is one of the former.
The true story of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd from Fantastic Four), a man whose passion is to see the slave trade to England abolished. Set in the late 1700s, Amazing Grace is a film with heart and one with standout performances.
Most notably Gruffudd, who must carry the film, and from Albert Finney as John Newton, the man who wrote Amazing Grace, the song we all know and love.
While telling the story of his work as an abolitionist where the film really delivers are in other areas: his lasting friendship with William Pitt who became Prime Minister; his whirlwind courtship of his wife Barbara Spooner; his struggle between living for God and his crusade to free the slaves; his relationship with Newton; his battle with colitis.
All these details could easily have been swept by in passing but they were responsible for showing us who William Wilberforce was and I thought that by knowing him and knowing his passion it gave access to the character. And I thought Gruffudd shone here.
On a personal note it was a bit hard for me to watch him keeling over in pain when the colitis struck. I know only too well how he would have felt, though not to the same extent. So to see all the great things he achieved while living with it was an inspiration.
Films like Amazing Grace don't come along too often these days, days dominated by blockbusters and the quick buck. If you're looking for a good story, well acted and that's not overdone you can do a lot worse. It's an 8.5 out of 10.
2 comments:
Hi Ray,
I loved the movie as well. I saw a pre-screening a couple of weeks ago. I can't wait to take Ruth and a few friends to see it.
I didn't know he had colitis. People were asking me about Wilberforce's pain. Wow.
What were your favourite lines in the movie?
Can't remember word for word but the one when he was sitting in the grass with his butler who says something about it being a great shame for a man to die well known to other but not himself.
I didn't know about his illness either so it was a shock to me.
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