Endgame (2009)
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71% of critics liked it
(7 reviews) -
62% of users liked it
(570 ratings)
Vantage Point director Pete Travis turns his attention from high-profile political assassinations to the high-risk talks that ushered in the end of apartheid while securing the release of Nelson Mandela in this historical drama starring William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofer, Mark Strong, and Johnny Lee… More Vantage Point director Pete Travis turns his attention from high-profile political assassinations to the high-risk talks that ushered in the end of apartheid while securing the release of Nelson Mandela in this historical drama starring William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofer, Mark Strong, and Johnny Lee Miller. The time is the late '80s, a crucial period in the history of South Africa. President P.W. Botha is hanging on to power by a thread as the African National Congress (ANC) takes up arms against apartheid and the country tumbles toward insurrection. A British mining concern called Consolidated Gold is convinced that their interests would be better served in a stable South Africa, and they quietly dispatch Michael Young, their head of public affairs, to open an unofficial dialogue between the bitter rivals. Assembling a reluctant yet brilliant team to pave the way to reconciliation by confronting obstacles that initially seem insurmountable, Young places his trust in ANC leader Thabo Mbeki and Afrikaner philosophy professor Willie Esterhuyse. It is their empathy that will ultimately serve as the catalyst for change by proving more powerful than the terrorist bombs that threaten to disrupt the peaceful dialogue. As the story shifts between Mandela's jail cell, Botha's chambers, ANC headquarters, and a rented car occupied by a British bureaucrat, the prospect for peace becomes more than just a distant hope. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Pete Travis
- Written By
- Paula Milne
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Drama
- In Theaters
- Nov 6, 2009 Wide
- Studio
- Monterey Media
Critic Reviews
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Kevin Lee, Time Out New York
William Hurt and Chiwetel Ejiofor, impressive at opposite ends of the table as a government mouthpiece and a philosophy professor, provide all the fireworks the story needs.
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Melissa Anderson, Village Voice
The principals, especially Ejiofor, rise above the starchiness that often hampers portrayals of recent, monumental history.
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Kam Williams, Sly Fox
An inspirational tale chronicling the contributions of a few unseen players in the South African struggle for independence.
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Chris Barsanti, PopMatters
...crafts a crackling thriller out of the tangle of crafty maneuvering that ended apartheid.
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Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
An inspirational tale chronicling the contributions of a few unseen players in the South African struggle for independence.
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Cast
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William Hurt
as Prof. Willie Esterhuyse
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Chiwetel Ejiofor
as Thabo Mbeki
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Jonny Lee Miller
as Michael Young
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Mark Strong
as Dr. Niel Barnard
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Clarke Peters
as Nelson Mandela
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John Kani
as Oliver Tambo
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Derek Jacobi
as Rudolph Agnew
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Timothy West
as P.W. Botha
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Matthew Marsh
as F.W. de Klerk
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Mike Huff
as Willem de Klerk
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Stephen Jennings
as Kobie Coetsee
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Patrick Lyster
as Sampie Terreblanche
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Ramon Tikaram
as Aziz Pahad
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Danny Scheinmann
as Albie Sachs
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Porteus Xandau
as Christo Brand
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Amelia Bullmore
as Gill
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David Henry
as Professor Marinus Wiechers
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Trevor Sellers
as Tony Trew
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Moshidi Motshegwa
as Sebolela
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Bo Petersen
as Esterhuyse's Wife
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Gabriele Scheibert
as Esterhuyse's Daughter
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Celia Ncalane
as Akoko
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Thomas Lockyer
as Anthony Sampson
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Langley Kirkwood
as Warrant Officer Swart
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Chumani Pan
as Youth #1 (Shabeen)
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Lihle Bangani
as Nkosi
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Jacques Strydom
as Policeman
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Karl Thaning
as President's Agent (De Klerkvv)
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Grant Brett Swanby
as President's Agent (Botha)
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Faith Ndukwana
as Winnie Mandela
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Faniswa Yisa
as Woman Pick-up Driver
