Endgame

Endgame is a film about that last days of Apartheid focusing primarily on the secret talks between the African National Congress and National Party in England. Compared to the film Frost/Nixon, real life facts are intermingled with movie drama and, unfortunately, while the film has the best intentions it misses the mark.

Jonny Lee Miller (TV's Eli Stone) leads the cast as Michael Young, director of communications for a company called Consolidated Gold which has significant business interests in South Africa. Chiwetel Ejiofer plays Thabo Mbeki, who is the information director for the African National Congress. The cast also includes William Hurt, Derek Jacobi and Mark Strong.

While Miller's performance is tension filled and shows what an underrated actor he is, the film itself seemed a bit stuck between being a real-life account of historical events interspersed with Hollywood action sequences that failed to add to the tension of the film but, instead, takes the viewer out of it. At times, it feels as if Endgame is two separate movies put together to make a film that feels disjointed.

The DVD of Endgame is available now and features interviews with Hurt and Miller as well as with director Pete Travis, who also directed the feature Vantage Point which also featured William Hurt. Producer David Aukin and writer Paula Milne are also featured on Travis's interview.

Overall, while the film does provide an inside look at what went on during the talks that would eventually end apartheid, the film fails in making this a cohesive must-have addition to your DVD shelf.