Catch A Fire (2006)

While the obverse of the DVD box suggested this movie was a thriller, this wasn't exactly what it is. Rather, Catch A Fire is a film that tells the story of a South African folk hero who worked against apartheid. However this guy was no peaceful Nelson Mandela; he was a rebel that planned and helped destroy the oil refinery he worked in, albeit with minimal loss of life.

Unfortunately, us Americans don't really know much South African history. Catch A Fire is set in 1980, but we should have started more present day and worked backwards like in the film Ghandi to provide some context. Instead we have a meandering story that is not clear where we are going with things for the majority of it. Compound in several thick accents, and this is the formula for some serious confusion.

Catch A Fire is an unsatisfying glimpse into a far off place, a quarter century ago. While it tries to relate the rebels to our current day terrorists at Guatanamo Bay being wrongly imprisoned, this is too far of a leap, and it doesn't establish relevancy. This film is simply off the mark for American audiences.

Overall Grade: C-