.: Roberts' Reviews - Movie Reviews :.

There are few movies to which I would begin a review talking about the director before getting to the meat of the experience. Quentin Tarantino, Ridley Scott, Michael Mann and David Fincher are the four that are most likely to have their names plastered in my reviews long before I even mention the title of their new release. These directors, in my opinion, are the cream of the crop and deserve mention of their legacy long before reviewing their present.

However, not too far from this elite group and rising in stature with every new release is Edward Zwick. "Who?", you say. Edward Zwick. The name might not be familiar, but let me list off a few directorial efforts. The Last Samurai, Glory, The Siege, Legends of the Fall, Courage Under Fire. Any of those ringing a bell? If not, then please just refer to the above four star rating and click on a review of Jackass Number 2 or Turistas where a director was just the means to the product.

Edward Zwick has consistently put out effort after effort of above average films each one so unique and refreshing that he has attracted some big named talent over the past 15 years. Everyone from Brad Pitt to Denzel Washington (twice) to Bruce Willis and Tom Cruise have lined up and shifted their work schedules in an attempt to free up production time to act in front of Edward's directing chair.

You can add three more A-listed names to the list with Edward's new release, Blood Diamond - Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou. Two of which put together such a commanding performance that you might just see their names in sealed envelopes sometime mid-February.

Blood Diamond tells the story of two men whose paths cross in 1999 Sierra Leone. One a smuggler named Danny Archer (DiCaprio) and the other a local fisherman named Solomon Vandy (Hounsou) who has been forced to work in the diamond mines after his village is massacred and his family taken from him during the civil war unrest.

When we first meet Danny, we are unclear as to his good vs. personal gain intentions. He is first and foremost a smuggler - a shifty and resourceful individual who smuggles diamonds out of the country and uses the most corrupt of individuals outside the region in efforts to sell his illegal contraband.

When Danny is thrown into jail after a botched attempt at getting diamonds across the border, he meets Solomon Vandy who is identified while in captivity as someone who has found a priceless pink diamond and has hidden the jewel somewhere in the vast jungle.

Vandy is the focal point of the feature. He is a family man with a wife, son, daughter and newborn in which to support. When the local rebels invade his home, his wife and daughter flee, but his son is captured by the insurgents and Vandy himself is taken away to slave in the local waters sifting for the small clear rocks of the diamond trade.

Danny quickly sees the opportunity and value of Vandy's treasure and uses his influence to try and reunite Vandy with his family in exchange for the priceless gem. All they have to do is stay alive in a civil war unrest, find Vandy's family, resuce Vandy's son from the tyrant using him as bait to get his father and then hike into the jungle and extract the diamond from its hidden tomb. No problem.

Blood Diamond is fascinating, action packed, thought provoking and heartbreaking all wrapped up with a nice Christmas time release bow. It is also one of the best films of the year and although I doubt that the film has the subject matter to continue Leo's $100 million dollar grossing streak, this is a movie that will live long after it leaves the theatre screens.

Offsetting mostly towards its potential is the violence shown in graphic detail in the film. Ed Zwick has always had a penchant for violence and his films Glory, Courage Under Fire, The Last Samurai etc. all have been centered around a violent revolutionary conflict. Blood Diamond kicks it up a notch with graphic scenes of children getting their arms chopped off, people being shot point blank and beaten within an inch of their lives. Make no mistake about it, some scenes are rather hard to watch, especially when violence is that last thing many think about during the holiday season.

If there is one thing that keeps this film from an extra half star it is Jennifer Connelly's character Maddy Bowen. Although she plays a pivotal part in the overall plot development, she is really given very little to work with and some of her scripted lines are downright Sankes-on-a-Planeish.

Overall, it is a small point. Blood Diamond is an exceptional movie and much like Apocalypto uses a very violent backdrop as a husband tries to reunite with his family. You might feel more comfortable watching the movie in your home, but whether you wait the six months or rush to the theatre, this is one that should be seen.