People are voting emotionally.

Just so...so bad

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I almost did not watch this as IMDb is fairly reliable for me with ratings over/under 6. Not sure why this was a 5.7 however I am a fan of Forrest and Eric. They are equally great in their performance here. Subject matter is hard. This movie had me from start to finish and did not disappoint. The lead characters and supporting leads pull their weight in conveying perspectives from both sides of one of history's darker (and still ongoing) sagas.

I REALLY liked this movie. In fact, I liked it so much, I watched it twice back to back. I have a hard time sitting still for ONE movie, much less watching ONE movie twice. THAT is how GOOD this movie is.The first time, I had a hard time understanding everything that was happening. I am not THAT familiar with the history of South Africa, nor can I speak Afrikaans. So it took two viewings to really understand the story.I thought the acting was superb!

The story of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be required viewing as far as I'm concerned. The actors and director clearly care about this story and they have told it well. I'm a white South African with family that were in the police and military during this time. I think this movie is incredibly well done. Don't worry about the camera angles and makeup; just watch, enjoy, and maybe even learn something. My favourite exchange: "Do you know what Paradise Lost is?" "A nightclub?" "No, you clutch plate. It's a poem... about me!" Cheers, Pierre

It's one of Forest Whitaker's best performances (but not his best). Similar to Gary Oldman's Oscar winning performance in The Darkest Hour, Whitaker is so engulfed as Desmond Tutu, thanks to both being a great actor and to some make up effects that you forget it's Forest Whitaker (Well, until you see the lazy eye). I must say, although I know who Tutu is I never seen a picture of him and upon seeing one I'm indifferent about the make up effects as it makes Tutu seem like an ugly man, but once again, it's about Whitaker's metamorphism.The Forgiven is about Tutu after Apartheid ended, under the request of Nelson Mandela, headed up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. During this time he's summoned by a dangerous criminal, played by Eric Bana, to a prison he's in, in hopes of getting clemency for his crimes. Eric Bana as dangerous criminal, Bloomfield could have used more screen time to be a better adversary for Whitaker's Tutu, it would have just enhanced both performances greatly.Once again, the Forgiven makes me indifferent about knowledge of other cultures, seeing how black people have so much in common in many different countries, and how I wish some of those similarities were on the positive (but still worth learning). Though I feel like I learned something about the aftermath of Apartheid and Desmond Tutu (enough to make me want to learn more), the movie is not the best film. It's very formulated and easy to predict. The real shinning light is Forest Whitaker truly becoming someone else on camera.