Endgame (2009)

Director:

Pete Travis

Writer:

Paula Milne (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A story based on the covert discussions that brought down the Apartheid regime in South Africa. |

Plot Keywords:

Africa | South Africa | Peace | Jail Cell | 1990s

Cast

Amelia Bullmore	...	Gill
Dominik Danielewicz	...	Street Protestor
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	President Thabo Mbeki
Kas Graham	...	Protestor
David Henry	...	Professor Marinus Wiechers
William Hurt	...	Professor Will Esterhuyse
Derek Jacobi	...	Rudolf Agnew
Langley Kirkwood	...	W / O Jack Swart
Matthew Marsh	...	F.W. de Klerk
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Michael Young
Clarke Peters	...	Nelson Mandela
Danny Scheinmann	...	Albie Sachs
Mark Strong	...	Dr. Niel Barnard
Jacques Strydom	...	Roadblock Policeman
Karl Thaning	...	F.W. de Klerk's agent
Ramon Tikaram	...	Aziz Pahad
Lizanne Tulip	...	High Profile Banker
Timothy West	...	P.W. Botha

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence/disturbing images and some strong language.

Runtime:

Germany:109 min (European Film Market)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Afrikaans | Xhosa

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45654)

Company:

Film Afrika Worldwide

Soundtrack:

Low Life

Impressive, tightly played-out drama on the end of Apartheid

Well-scripted and cast this made-for-TV drama would have to work hard to be ineffective. William Hurt, as a liberal Afrikaner university professor Esterhuyse bosses the drama. Thrown inbetween the ANC and Botha's implacable government as a way of coaxing talks into life he also has to withstand the insidious advances of insiders with other agendas. Chiwetel Ejiofor's Mbeki is an earnest character here but for reasons either of performance or historical reproduction he seems strangely marginal. Much more impressive is the (scarily similar) Mandela of Clarke Peters, played as a graceful man two steps ahead of whatever game he's introduced to.

There's a host of other cameos - I particularly liked Timothy West's Botha - which fill out the story. It's a competent production, albeit fighting an occasionally losing battle with period detail in central London (21st century buses and entryphone systems in 1985). Somerset looks beautiful too. It can be a bit cursory with the dangers a bit - the stakes that the 'players' face - but there's a lot to cram in. Above all one gets the sense of men trying to resolve things with a decorousness that must be the example for the ensuing national democracy. Stirring stuff. 7/10