Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

This dutiful docudrama tells the story of the late Nelson Mandela, the beloved former president of South Africa. Mandela's journey begins as a young Xhosa herder in South Africa's rural Cape region before following his formative years and education as a Johannesburg lawyer and rebellious activist against the repressive apartheid regime of white Afrikaners. His leadership position in the ANC (African National Congress) led to his incarceration and isolation for 27 years in Robben Island prison (a former leper colony) off the Cape Town coast. Eventually, Mandela became South Africa's first democratically elected president and worked to rebuild his country's once-segregated society. Based on Mandela's 1995 autobiography, filmmaker Justin Chadwick's epic political saga is punctuated by “Madiba's” personal life, including his fractious first marriage to fellow ANC activist Evelyn Mase (Terry Pheto) and second to younger social worker Winnie Madikizela (Naomie Harris), whose increasing radicalization eventually led to the couple's separation. British actor Idris Elba's meticulous performance captures not only the distinctive accent but also the essence of Prisoner 46664, who confronted adversity with perseverance in his inspiring determination to achieve the goal of racial equality. But this relentlessly respectful biopic ultimately lacks the emotional punch that would have made it truly great. Recommended, overall. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Justin Chadwick, behind-the-scenes featurettes on costumes, makeup, music, and more (30 min. total), a “Mandela: The Leader You Know, The Man You Didn't” segment (22 min.), a tribute video gallery featuring Dan Rather, Al Gore, John Legend, and others (17 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a solid bio-pic.] (S. Granger)