Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

The career of Nelson Mandela (Idris Elba) gets a respectful treatment from writer William Nicholson (adapting Mandela's autobiography) and director Justin Chadwick, hitting all the high points from Mandela's early struggles in the 1940s through his embrace of militancy in the African National Congress, his long imprisonment, release and eventual triumph as the first black president of South Africa. If you've been in a coma for 25 years and have no idea who Nelson Mandela was, this will give you a general introduction; otherwise, it's a standard Great Man biopic, less inspiring than the life it celebrates, albeit beautifully shot on African locations by Lol Crawley. The best reason to see it is Elba's austere, masterful performance as Mandela, along with Naomie Harris' fiery turn as his wife Winnie.