Red Dust - Tom Hooper

A complex, sad, and resonating film about modern day South Africa, Red Dust is my choice for best movie made by or about SA that I've seen (and I've seen a lot of 'em). It's a courtroom drama dealing with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which ran from 1998 - 2002 or so. I won't bother outlining the very complex plot, but will say that generally, this film was enormously well informed and sensitive to the nuances of such a complex time in the country's checkered history. The layered drama leaves no one unsullied by blame, or undamaged by guilt.

I loved many of the performances, most notably the black lead (I don't have the names in front of me) playing ANC once-dissident-now-parliamentarian Alex Mpondo, and the Afrikaans police officer whose admission of torture forms the basis for the Commission hearing. Really incredible. Much less satisfying was Hilary Swank as the (gorgeous) former S/African lawyer returning from New York to represent Mpondo - her look was incongruously over-glamorous, and she made no attempt to speak with the hybrid accent she should have had she lived half her life in each country. She was a little off-putting but didn't by any means ruin this outstanding film.