ElkeNYC

I had the good fortune to watch the movie's world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival 2008. It's a moving, thoughtful and yet highly entertaining movie with incredibly gorgeous cinematography.

This is not your same old same old "road trip movie" nor is it one of the well known stories about a band. It's a little bit different and even surprising at times.

The only flaw I can see in this movie is the last quarter of the movie which seems a bit too constructed and maybe even a bit rushed. Then again, the ending is really well chosen and makes you leave the movie with on an upbeat note.

The acting is great. Joe Anderson is fantastic! He's able to show the difference nuances of his character and to transport what's haunting and driving him. The rest of the cast is believable and convincing too. It's a true character driven story which never gets boring.

I highly recommend it to anyone who's in for 85 minutes with gorgeous pictures, great music, honest feelings and fantastic acting. Kudos to everybody and especially Erica Dunton! Love this movie.

I went to the 7:30pm screening at the Clearview Cinemas in Chelsea with the chance to see Vanessa Williams and Kevin Daniels in a Q&A. Both actors were adorable and came across very, very nicely - which doesn't say anything yet about the movie.

While I enjoyed watching the movie, and I still liked it shortly after I've seen it, I look at it differently now, three days later.

In contrary to what the script writer has said during the Q&A, or what her intentions were, the outcome is a very conservative message. It's not just "a child needs both parents" but it is "a child needs his/her biological father" - and I am not certain if this is what has been intended. It's just not true that children would bond automatically with their biological Dad - that's a movie fantasy and maybe even a dangerous one.

This movie could have been so much better on so many levels if it would not have fallen into the usual stereotypes. Again, what makes it likable are its main actors/actresses but the story itself is not.

Living in New York City, I used the opportunity to see a pre-screening of Eduard Zwick's latest movie and with BLOOD DIAMOND we have this year's major Oscar contender. Not only will this film get nominated in all main categories but it will most likely take home the big ones like BEST MOVIE, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST SCRIPT, BEST EDIITING, etc.

If not BEST DIRECTOR, as well as the BEST ACTOR trophies for either DiCAPRO or HOUNSOU - are they going to be pitched against each other?! JENIFFER CONELLY is excellent too, but she will face the toughest competition since female supporting roles are the ones women usually get in Hollywood, but let's not get side tracked.

Enough Oscar talk, the season is not yet here and there's still room for another movie to convince that much as Eduard Zwick's masterpiece does. I doubt however that any other still to be released movie can keep up with the high quality of BLOOD DIAMOND. The topic is as relevant and important as the topic of a movie can be. It's almost filmed as a documentary. Mr. Zwick never lets you from the hook. There's lots of shooting and dying and only occasional breaks that let you breath again. There's no room to slow down, there's no shelter to take, no room for peace.

Life, as we, who are able to peacefully watch movies in theaters, know it, is put upside down. The society has gone bonkers! Violence, injustice, cruelty everywhere. No fine place to live regardless if you're about to smuggle diamonds and making million of $$$ or just want to properly raise your children.

BLOOD DIAMOND is one of the best and most relevant movies ever made, hands down. Go and watch it!