Review: Catch a Fire

Filed under: Reviews

Based on a true story, Catch a Fire tells the tale of how one man in South Africa resorts to violence after being falsely accused of being part of the illegal "African National Congress". This is not ancient history, apartheid was raging in South Africa in 1980s.

Derek Luke (Friday Night Lights, Antwone Fisher) plays Patrick Chamusso, hauled out of his home because he is suspected of being a terrorist. Tim Robbins, the Oscar-winner for Mystic River, is Nic Vos, in charge of rooting-out terrorists and torturing them, too. While there's no doubt he's the bad guy, we do see him and his family, where he seems almost normal, except for his fascination with guns.

While Chamusso is innocent of being a terrorist, his home life is not as rosy. He had a fling with another woman and fathered her child. His wife, Precious, played by Bonnie Mbuli, is terrific. She can't quite get over her husband's philandering and lets Vos know he is hiding at the other woman's house. Chamusso ends up spending about a decade in prison and is only released when apartheid ends.

In a nice touch at the end of the movie, the real Patrick Chamusso is shown on screen.

Catch a Fire is directed by Philip Noyce, whose credits include Clear and Present Danger and The Saint. Noyce knows how to direct action sequences and how to create tension, which this movie has.

In many ways, Catch a Fire is like Hotel Rwanda. That movie is the better one.

Comments Posted ()

SBM on Social Media

ShowbizMonkeys.com on Facebook ShowbizMonkeys.com on Twitter ShowbizMonkeys.com on Instagram ShowbizMonkeys.com on YouTube