Endgame

An all-star cast populates this historical thriller about oppositional figures who find common ground for the betterment of their country. While Clint Eastwood's bio-pic Invictus focuses specifically on Nelson Mandela, director Pete Travis spotlights some of South Africa's lesser-known historical political players. The story begins in 1985, when mild-mannered Briton Michael Young (Jonny Lee Miller), public affairs director for Consolidated Goldfields, meets charismatic African National Congress representative Thabo Mbeki (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and concludes with the release of imprisoned ANC leader Mandela (Clarke Peters) in 1990, paving the way for democracy. In looking out for his company's best interests, Young seeks to help dismantle the nation's racist infrastructure, seeing the outcome as mutually beneficial (Derek Jacobi plays his supervisor). Young recruits philosophy professor Will Esterhuyse (William Hurt) to lead the talks between the two sides, and from the start, Mbeki makes it clear that he envisions a return to majority rule rather than a power-share. Although sympathetic, Esterhuyse fears this approach will lead to retaliation for decades of mistreatment. But as the two men come to trust each other, a way forward emerges, despite the attempts of President P.W. Botha (Timothy West) and intelligence chief Dr. Niel Barnard (Mark Strong) to discredit Mbeki. Originally shown on Britain's Channel 4, Endgame also aired on PBS and received a limited theatrical release. Highly recommended. (K. Fennessy)