Save your money for something good and enjoyable

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Good concept, poorly executed.

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Basically the movie talks about South Africa which was one of the very last countries to get its independence in Africa .We get to understand how much South Africans suffered during the apartheid regime and what the leaders and other citizens went through before they finally became self ruled, the discrimination of Africans in their own country and not to mention the bloodshed during this times. This is a very touching movie full of sorrows and tears but not forgetting the comic part of it as seen in the early stages. It's very hilarious in its kind, full of romance and a lot of suspense especially in the middle .It is also very emotional, breathtaking and very educative. The movie talks about the life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (Jennifer Hudson), from her strict rural upbringing by a father disappointed she was not born a boy, to her giving up the chance to study in America in order to remain in South Africa where she felt more needed, through her husband Nelson Mandela's (Terrence Howard) imprisonment. She then faces continuous harassment by the security police, banishment to a small Free State town, betrayal by friends and allies, and more than a year in solitary confinement. Upon her release, she continues her husband's activism against apartheid and, after his release from prison, suffers divorce due to her infidelity and political pressure.The main character is Jennifer Hudson who is referred as Winnie Madikizela Mandela. I find her to be a very strong woman who will always fight for what she thinks is right. She is that woman who will go to that extend without fear of what people will think about her or what people say about her. She fought anyone she considered was a threat to her and what she has been fighting for. She did a very good job as she teaches women to be strong no matter the problems of day to day life and that no one should give up without a fight. She was very courageous and she took up the role very good. The second character is Terence Howard who plays the role of Nelson Mandela .His character was very well portrayed as that fighter who will sacrifice everything he had just for the freedom of his people .Even though he was very strong at the beginning I found him to be so down at the end of the movie since he did not become what everyone expected him to be, he brings out his soft part and that not how we expect those people fighting for us to be…even though his role came out quite well I think I would love to see the strong part of him. Hlomla Dandala also known as Oliver Tambo is the other character in the movie and he plays a role of a good friend to Mandela. He did a very good job since he tried so hard to stand by his friend and he also got himself in a boiling soup fighting against the white regime as he was also got imprisoned .He played his role very well. The most things I liked about the movie was the fact that it made me as a reader understand South Africa much better during the start and at the end of apartheid regime. It all made sure that it targeted both the age groups without discriminating any. I liked when Winnie decided she would continue with the struggle even after the arrest of her husband. I didn't like it when Mandela decided to divorce Winnie as seen in the last scene of the movies as I thought that woman really struggled during his absence and no matter what she did she was supposed to be forgiven since it was not easy for her for Mandela was arrested when she was still very young. I also didn't like it when Winnie decided to take laws in her hands and decided to kill anyone who was against ANC by that time and who could not follow what she wanted as seen in the last third scene of the movie. The movie teaches us that; 1. No matter how hard some things look if you continue to put more effort then you will surely succeed in one way or another. 2. It also shows the strength of a woman by explaining that what a man can do a woman can still do the same thing 3. It also states that you should fight for what you believe in no matter how hard it is to get what you want. 4. we should also not use violence for violence since dialogue is and will always be the way out Anyone can watch this movie since it has targeted all age groups from the young to the old and even the romance part of it does not hinder the children from watching and so I consider it as a family movie.In other hand I think this movie is much of a TV movie and no part of Winnie Mandela biography. According to my views someone biography should be written or said in a way that it becomes history even after that person is long gone as it should make that person be remembered in one way or the other. This movie has represented Winnie's bad side since it criticizes her too much which should not be part of biography.Even though I felt the movie was quite interesting to watch I also feel it could have done much better for its rating is not that good considering its main actors are two very well known people not to mention its producer TD JAKES who is a well known Christian evangelist and the Christian denomination would have loved to see better than what he produced .I will rate the movie at 2/5 since I expected better than this as the title really moved me to want to know what it was all about.

Winnie Mandela (Jennifer Hudson) is the sixth daughter to a disappointed father hoping for a son. She tries to prove her worth chaffing at the paternalistic culture. Her father is the son of the chief and a ground breaking teacher. She studies to be a social worker and excels. She is fascinated by Nelson Mandela (Terrence Howard) and catches his eye. They are soon married but they are always hounded by the cruel De Vries (Elias Koteas). Mary Botha (Wendy Crewson) hires her despite the troubles and becomes her supporter.This is such a bland uninteresting biopic. With such an amazing complicated subject, this has no intensity. It has no life. The story has been simplified into a paint-by-number biopic. It's as if it's boiled down to highlights of a compelling life. It uses way too many montages. Terrence Howard is especially hamstrung by the script while Jennifer Hudson takes a backward step with her performance. Elias Koteas is a great actor but the movie appears to suggest that all of Mandela's problems stem from an over-zealous persecutor. Winnie is one of the most compelling characters in our modern history and this treats it all like a melodrama. I'm left a little uncertain about Hudson's skills after this. However I put most of it down to a bad script.

It is a week since the death of Mandela that I decided to have a marathon of all things biographical of the great man. I started with Winnie and was not disappointed but was not all that thrilled. If you are looking for something to match Richard Attenborough's 'Cry Freedom' perhaps this is not one, but it sure makes a good start. I'd hoped it would match Luc Besson's 'The Lady', in its execution I guess it does but not so much on the script. Everything is only lightly and briefly touched; Winnie's childhood, her time in Jan Hofmeyer School, her courtship with Madiba, her struggle while incarcerated. This movie does not really talk about the struggles of the couple and little light is shed on Winnie's role as a mother and her contribution within the family unit itself. If anything the movie a great reminder that behind a great man, there is always that crazy woman who makes sure all is taken care of. One scene that makes most impact on me personally is the time when the policemen raided her house after the wedding and ruined the piece of wedding cake she had saved. Nothing is introduced on the reason why the piece is saved; whether this is customary or for any sentimental value. Yet 7/10 must be given solely for the spectacular performances of the actors, each bringing great life to the, otherwise flat, story. The makeup team had done an amazing job trying to match both Jennifer Hudson's and Terrence Howard's appearances to match the figures they are portraying. Hat's off to the production team.

I am presently watching this movie at the moment. I must say I am extremely surprised at the flawed costuming of this project. This is a movie chronicling the life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, a woman who was born in 1936. Yet from the very start of the movie(which starts at her birth), you notice immediately that they lost it on the costumes they used as they do not depict the kind and quality of clothing worn in a 1936 South African village. For one the clothing used are really really bright and very 2011 fashionable. Regarding the styling, you can clearly tell that they probably could not produce them that way back then. They also look too bright and flashy much like modern apparel. In certain scenes you see that the ties worn by the guards or police officers looking really modern day and therefore really makes you struggle to believe the events were actually occurring when the acting tells you they were. Talk about the wedding dress used in Winnie's wedding, it just looks out of place time-wise. So even though the acting is good, I feel that the strength of the acting was much suppressed by this flaw. It really would have been better if they had down toned the colors a bit but unfortunately they did not.