I AM AFRICAN

I AM AFRICAN

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Movie Minute - Winnie Mandela Biopic Trailer Released


At last!  We get to catch a glimpse of the controversial biopic, WinnieStarring Jennifer Hudson who plays Winnie Mandela and Terence Howard who plays Nelson Mandela.  The biopic chronicles the life of Winnie Mandela who is known for her anti-apartheid activism long after her ex-husband Mandela had been improsoned.

The casting choice created a lot of controversy.  Winnie Mandela threatened to sue the film makers because she had not been asked to consult on the film and because an American is playing her.  While I do agree that Winnie should have been consulted, I still feel that casting Jennifer Hudson to play her was not a bad choice either. 

Below is the trailer:



I'm not sold on these actors accents based on the trailer.  There have been American actors who have played African characters very convincingly;  Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda and Forest Whittaker in The Last King Of Scotland.  I couldn't imagine anyone else playing a better Idi Amin than Whittaker! He owned that role that led him to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.  Cheadle also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role.
There will be some Oscar buzz for Jennifer Hudson & Terence Howard next year.

Will you be watching?


4 comments:

@Sirjonduke said...

Nice piece. I don't mind the casting one bit - but then again its not me being portrayed in the movie. I think its mos def a must watch.

Sally G said...

JM, we'll have wait and check out the film.

Anonymous said...

Jennifer Hudson did a great job looking at the trailer and she will be well rewarded. If South Africans were in the title role would you watch? Darrell J. Roodt, Director picked Hudson and Howard it is his right people. The negative critism is generating more buzz for this movie, because it is peaking people interest just read the blogs. This movie started out negative before filming by Mrs. Mandela and the South African people. Why does ethnicity plays a role in making a film and picking actors. Meryl Streep won an Oscar for her portrayal in the "Iron Lady" in which she is an american with no protest. A White South African Actress also won an Oscar playing an american role. She recently adopted a black baby which is the new thing with celebrities.

Toni, Proud African-American Woman said...

Please support our films and people...stop the politics regarding this movie it is getting old. Jennifer Hudson and Winnie Mandela are both strong women who are both black. Fuck the ethnicity and accent bullshit...just put the movie out and tell the truth about this great woman and leader of the liberation movement. I see both Nelson and Winnie Mandela movies are hard to make with onging drama.