Endgame (2009)
Peter Travis
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Plot Summary
This is a gripping and sophisticated political thriller full of intriguing and unexpected heroes. South Africa, 1985. The country is under siege. Sanctions are biting, Mandelaís imprisonment is an international cause celebre, and the ANC guerrilla terrorist attacks are escalating. Every day the country is more ungovernable as it plunges towards the apocalypse of a race war. In their saner moments everyone knows the vile apartheid regime is doomed but will the transition to democracy be peaceful or bloody? Working for P.W. Botha as a somewhat Machiavellian Head of Intelligence, Doctor Neil Barnard opens furtive talks with Nelson Mandela who is still in prison. While these talks have been well-documented, less known are the secret talks that take place in the unlikely setting of a rural English manor house. The UK talks - arranged by a British businessman and sponsored by a mining company that is seeking to secure its own future in South Africa would see influential Afrikaners sit down face to face with their fiercest enemies from the ANC, led by future President Thabo Mbeki. Both sides have everything to win or to lose, including their own lives. The stakes are immense, the secrecy total. But Botha learns of the UK talks too. If the demise of apartheid is inevitable he intends to control the endgame by employing the tactics of divide and rule. Dr. Barnard must wring as many concessions out of Mandela as he can whilst instructing the Afrikaners to do the same with the ANC in the UK then play one against the other. Against all the odds, through volatile discussion, set backs and breakthroughs, they achieve the unimaginable - a precious arena of frail trust between the two warring parties. In the current climate of the expression "war on terror", this inspiring film has never had more relevance.
Credits
Director
Screenwriter
Producers
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
71%- Reviews Counted: 7
- Fresh: 5
- Rotten: 2
- Average Rating: 6.5/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: The principals, especially Ejiofor, rise above the starchiness that often hampers portrayals of recent, monumental history.
Fresh: William Hurt and Chiwetel Ejiofor, impressive at opposite ends of the table as a government mouthpiece and a philosophy professor, provide all the fireworks the story needs.
Rotten: What sparks are felt throughout come largely from Hurt and Ejiofor, who both seem to understand exactly the type of talky, tentative movie they're in and do their best to bring in some glints of humor and uncertainty.
Customer Reviews
An interesting narrative, punctuated by talented actors
One of the earlier reviewers described the storyline as despicable, and seems to attack the idea of corporate interests pursuing an end to South Africa's policy without any sort of discussion-- i.e. why was this a bad idea, or even a false idea as indicated. I'm totally at a loss for that reviewer's claim that the film promotes an anti-death penalty agenda. What a bizarre review.
Actually I quite enjoyed the film. Chiwetel Ejiofor, William Hurt, and JL Miller are all accomplished actors, and it shows here. The film on its own is certainly a compelling narrative. I think it's naive to think that corporations aren't capable of doing good when it suits their own interests--not in the main of the story, in any case. It's well acted, suspenseful in parts, and is visually interesting, although the resolution of the film seems a bit low for 2003, not too bad but a bit surprising.
Wow what a trailer!
I feel that just the trailer was enough for me. I laughed I cryed, I felt a sense of
one- ness with the main character. A must see trailer!
Without Heart..
Despicable is the only word to justify the use of a storyline so weak and full
of cliche. But the ultimate fallacy is the illusion used to inject proselytizing full
of religious fervor. And then to top it off, the not-so-subtle implication of anti-
death penalty to espouse one's opinion.
Could have been a good story. Always is when left to stand on the merits of
reality without baseless pandering.
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- $9.99
- Genre: Thriller
- Released: 2010
- © 2009 Echo Bridge Entertainment, All Rights Reserved