Amazing Grace

Movie review from The Movie Snob

Amazing Grace (A-). Maybe it's a little sentimental, but I still loved this movie about British parliamentarian William Wilberforce and his crusade to abolish the British slave trade. Interestingly, the movie's perspective is limited to that of Wilberforce and his fellow MPs; the horrors of slavery are much talked about but never actually shown, and the MPs' lack of firsthand familiarity with the trade may help explain why Parliament was so slow to rally to Wilberforce's cause. The complexities of parliamentary politics are well-captured, as is the way seemingly unrelated political issues can affect each other. Wilberforce is well-played by Ioan Gruffudd (previously unknown to me despite starring roles in Fantastic Four and King Arthur, his appearance reminded me of Bob Geldof in The Wall). Romola Garai, who was so good in I Capture the Castle, is unfortunately rather wasted in the role of Wilberforce's devoted wife. Highly recommended.