Blood Diamond (2006)

This is one of many movies I watched over the holiday, but it's the one I feel that I have something to say about. A lot of the Rotten Tomatoes kids (whose average rating just barely puts the film in the positive) have elitist qualms about Leo being the star instead of Djimon Hounsou, with the implication being that the movie talks down to its audience and the filmmakers think we need to tell the story of Africa from a "white savior" perspective. But let's be blunt: more people are going to watch a Leo movie than a Djimon Hounsou movie - for whatever reason. I say, whatever gets people's attention on how our actions affect people in places we claim to care about but won't or don't know how to help is a good thing. Assuming one agrees with the movie's message (and who wouldn't?), it seems almost morally counterproductive to sandbag such a well-meaning film with accusations of racism.

If you don't mind a bit of preachiness and can accept a fictionalized movie that still has elements of truth to impart, there's a whole bunch of action to help the sugar go down. Director Edward Zwick did this much better in Glory, but Blood Diamond still does it.