Blood Diamond

My girlfriend and I went to see it tonight. I was pleasantly surprised--it was a very good movie. I think Leonardo DiCaprio is a better than average actor, but not great--not on par with Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson or Robert de Niro for example. In this movie however, he plays his part almost perfectly. The other actors, including Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connely acted just as well. The only exception was Arnold Vosloo who played the South African colonel. I thought his facial expressions, at least in this film, were just a little bit off--he didn't quite come off as the bad guy he was supposed to be.

As to the story, the title is self-explanatory. The background is Sierra Leone in 1999, where a civil war is raging and diamonds have become a currency in the arms trade. This story, while fictitious, is based on historical events and is still pertinent today because a) it's still possible to unknowingly buy "conflict diamonds" b) the diamond industry, much like the oil business or investment banking, is a virtual monopoly controlled by an elite few who limit supply in order to keep prices high, and c) wars have been, are, and will be fought over economic resources. An engaging story with great actors that leaves the viewer contemplating humanity is time well spent.

[Edit 12/10/2006: The protagonist's "smoking dilemma" was a little bit too politically correct and American for a non-American.]