KEY POINTS:
The 18th-century hymn Amazing Grace is one of the most popular hymns of all time. It has been sung by armies, civil rights protesters, folk singers and Pop Idol contestants over the years, and along the way it helped to inspire 18th-century British politician William Wilberforce to dedicate his life to the abolition of slavery.
Elected to the House of Commons at age 21, Wilberforce (Gruffudd) took up the issue of slavery when the British Empire was strong and powerful, and when many influential men profited from the slave trade.
With a preacher's heart and a politician's head, Wilberforce wonders if he would be better suited to a life in the church as each year he is mocked by his colleagues as he presents his bill to abolish slavery and the slave trade.
With little success over the years, Wilberforce becomes disillusioned with his battle, and physically and emotionally ill. But he persists, with the love of a good woman Barbara Spooner (Garai), and guidance from John Newton (Finney), a former slave ship captain turned repentant monk, and the man credited with writing the lyrics of Amazing Grace.
Gruffudd, known for his diverse roles, such as Hornblower and Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four, comfortably dons period costume again and does a perfectly acceptable job of presenting the sensitive and passionate Wilberforce. He is surrounded by a stellar cast, including Michael Gambon as an anti-slavery MP and singer Youssou N'Dour as the freed slave and author, Olaudah Equiano.
Finney is a stand out as Newton, and his verbal accounts of the brutality of the slave trade are more vivid than the stylised dramatisations, which are distracting rather than disturbing. But even with a stellar cast and the intriguing story, Amazing Grace is overall an underwhelming film.
It simply doesn't have the emotional impact of the hymn, and director Michael Apted's (Gorillas in the Mist, Enigma) conservative and standard approach to this historical biopic, makes this fascinating story feel more history lesson than inspirational story.
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Romola Garai
Director: Michael Apted
Running time: 118 mins
Rating: PG, adult themes
Screening: Rialto, Hoyts and Berkeley
Verdict: A fascinating story, a great cast, but average in its presentation
