Blood Diamond Film Review.

This is the film that has created quite a stir in the diamond dealing world and has lead to De Beers spending $8 million in advertising to defend their own source of diamonds as "conflict zone " free and to the rules of the Kimberley Mining Charter.

The film revolves around a huge diamond being found and hidden by a black African who is forced by rebel militia to pan for diamonds, whilst his son is taken away and trained as a boy soldier, and his wife and daughter flee into the refugee camps.

Leo DiCaprio is a dealer who had been a soldier in Rhodesia, and learns about the pure pink diamond whilst held in prison for smuggling stones across the border.

Jennifer Conneley provides the love interest and is a war zone reporter trying to untie the mystery of how these stones are being sold yet undeclared by the African states.

This is a big, expensive, blockbuster of a movie that reveals the

heartbreak of a nation torn apart by civil war, and the greed of the Western world as they buy these conflict diamonds knowing full well that the money they pay will buy the weapons that keeps the conflicts, suffering and death in motion. These rare sized stones are taken out of the dealing world to protect the price of already cut diamonds, making them seem a rare commodity, when in actual fact, they are not. This is the reason that you and me will be ripped off buying the rings and jewellery at high prices. So, a film with guts.

There are times in this movie that are absolutely heartbreaking as the chase to find the buried diamond heats up, bringing the rebels, the soldiers of fortune, and the two main characters into an explosive finale. Like any good film, it is hard to look ahead and guess the outcome.

This is also Leonardo DiCaprio at his very best, Oscar nominated deservedly, and comfortable with an Africaan accent throughout. His character is tough, focused, untrustworthy, with no other aim than to own the diamond for himself at any cost. A superb supporting cast and an excellent script and screenplay, makes this a hot contender for film of the year. Two hours of fast action take you through waves of emotion, despair, hope, tragedy and anger. As they say several times in the film- TIA . This is Africa.

Rating JJJJJ (five Justins)

Oh,Big Brother.

Well it was going to happen sooner than later, the Celebrity Big Brother has unleashed a foray of anger at "racial" insults aimed at Bollywood star Shilpa by Londons very own Jade Goody. The press has condemned her as tensions have risen in India at the treatment of a very lovely lady, and are seeking to destroy Jades career. This is "car crashTV" at it's best and worse.
What I actually saw was a very ignorant girl (Jade) doing what she does best, engaging mouth before the brain is in in use. Remember that she was a product of an earlier BB and has achieved quite a bit since with two series on Living TV, Jade's Salon and Jade's PA. A career based around the gossip mags since has brought her a fortune, but unfortunately no further intelligence. I quite like the girl when she is in a happy mood playing to the cameras. I don't think that she is a bad person at all, maybe all this celebrity nonsense has actually changed her in some small way. Stubborn,confident,stupid and rich.
Two accusations were that she was a bully and a racist. Firstly I would say that most people have got it wrong to say that she was a racist. The comments she made were in the heat of an argument with Shilpa that showed the difference between an educated woman and the complete opposite. Secondly, I would definitely agree that she is a bully and saw a chance to put down someone who is not at the same low level species as herself.
The real culprit of this sad event is the producers of Big Brother who have always used the diary room to lay down the rules about bad behavior and bullying. They let it all go without reprimand until it had got totally out of hand. They failed to protect the people they had hired to provide "entertainment" to this fast fading format, and allowed it to turn into havoc to boost the poor audience ratings.
Channel Four and Endemol, you stand accused of bringing the media of Television into the gutter. Guilty!