Catch a Fire (2006) User Reviews

Great film-making

[paulmartin-2 · 8/10 · 25 November 2006]

With Rabbit Proof Fence, The Quiet American and now Catch A Fire to his credit in succession, Phillip Noyce appears to be leaving the blockbuster action movies behind and moving into the realm of serious but still mainstream cinema. These are all very proficient films with interesting stories that contain relevant social and political messages. It is noteworthy that the three are all based on historical facts.

This style of film-making is much more interesting than films like Syriana or (especially) The Constant Gardener. In those, the director appears to make a show of promoting a worthy world view, but doesn't really seem committed to the political cause. It felt gratuitous, the director simply exploiting our interest in political conspiracies without necessarily sharing that interest. Whatever it takes to get bums on seats.

It is a difficult balance for a director. You want to do a story that you know is going to be hard to sell. So you need a big name or two to get the studio on board. But then you're stuck with a highly recognisable face that everyone knows is American but has to use an Afrikaaner accent.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Tim Robbins was completely believable as the South African police interrogator. His accent seemed flawless, and with his excellent acting I was able to buy-in to his character immediately. And I assumed that Derek Luke, who played the protagonist Patrick Chamusso, was African. In fact, he's from LA and has appeared in Spartan and Antwone Fisher (in the title role).

Apartheid, like say Nazism or so-called terrorism, is an easy target. It doesn't take much effort to totally demonise even minor participants, even though they may be ordinary people. Noyce skilfully avoided such caricatures. Using effective cinematic devices, he was able to portray that both the protagonist and the antagonist had much in common. They both had two daughters, and both loved their families and their country. But one became a torturer and one became the tortured.

Noyce's portrayal of Apartheid was very balanced. Robbin's character Vos was a family man with a job. His family loved him, but at work he was a man to be feared. Torture is a method that has been shown to not work. Both Michael Winterbottom's The Road to Guantanamo and Noyce's Catch A Fire illustrate this by depicting false confessions that were actually made by innocents. According to Noyce at the Q&A session that proceeded the film, the confessions made by Chamusso after he joined the ANC were deliberately sparse on detail and designed to appease but ultimately frustrate his interrogators.

I asked Noyce if the film was making a statement about current world events, and he acknowledged that it was. It is very relevant to the war on terror and the West's turning to inhumane methods. "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter", he quoted. Patrick Chamusso was a hero, he said, not because he took up arms, but because he renounced them. The ANC had a policy of not harming innocents, but this wasn't always the case. Chamusso was unsuccessful (and was jailed), because he was careful to follow this policy.

Phillip Noyce is showing himself to be a deft master of quietly subversive films with commercial appeal, but ultimately they are socio-political commentaries with a strong humanitarian element. This film should have wide appeal among both casual movie-goers and the more serious cinephiles.

thought provoking and mature film

[antoniotierno · 7/10 · 10 July 2007]

This film didn't have the attention it would have deserved, at least in Europe (no attention at all in Italy..) but it's quite riveting. Elevated and empowered by Tim Robbin's and Derek Luke's performances "Catch a fire" has the right impact and vibrancy. It should raise important political questions in a world obsessed with terrorism and it's also filled with well - staged action scenes. The apartheid era is properly described and the social history developing in this context is certainly remarkable, though not flawless. Compared to other productions dealing with the same subject this one offers a perspective a bit different and more mature and ends up with a surprising forgiveness

A powerful story well told

[Spaceygirl · 7/10 · 25 June 2007]

A powerful story well told in skillful hands. Philip Noyce, of Rabbitproof Fence fame, once again takes a story of oppression and just tells the story, without apportioning blame or taking sides. The script is marvellous and the acting uniformly good. Tim Robbins and Derek Lucas both affecting near-flawless South African accents, take the male leads and put in outstanding roles. Tim Robbins as the Afrikaner cop is a character difficult to understand, at one point he takes his prisoner home for Sunday dinner with his family and in another scene oversees the beating-up and torture of innocent people. Derek Lucas is equally good as a man who's only interest lies with his family and job before being arrested and ultimately backed into a course of action that he could not have foreseen. Michelle Botes and Bonnie Mbuli are both excellent South African actresses who play the respective wives, Bonnie Mbuli in particular putting in a very affecting role as the wife who stands by helplessly as her husband spirals into a new life which does not include her or her children. H

Worth a look

[jtur88 · 27 February 2007]

As I started watching this movie, I thought Apartheid movies are like Holocaust movies---they are all the same theme repeated over and over again with minor variations. But something about this unfolding picture made me resist the eject button. One factor was, I think, that the Tim Robbins character was magnetically unpredictable. It was hard to predict what kind of a person he would ultimately turn out to be. Secondly, and maybe I missed something at the outset or went in with imperfect knowledge of the circumstances of the film, but only quite late in the picture did I realize that this was a biographical flashback of a national hero. That was refreshing to me. Heroic biopics generally seem to be trying too hard to lionize their subject. And finally, from all aspects of cinematography that a casual user like me can address, the picture was not that badly done. So, if you haven't seen many Apartheid-themed movies and would like to see a decent one, this would be a respectable choice. As a political aside, I found myself hoping that at least a few Americans would watch this picture and say "Hey, that's what we do to suspected terrorists, too!", and consider whether right and wrong are not all that easy to distinguish.

Good movie for Non-South Africans

[Dr_Mark_ODoherty · 7/10 · 24 October 2007]

When watching this movie, one should keep the following quote in mind: "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." Because although it is true, that the movie covers a sad and tragic phase in South African history, a lot of innocent white South Africans were also seriously injured and killed by "Freedom Fighters" - the movie should have focused on that perhaps as well, underlining the problem, that the ANC had a policy of not harming innocents, but this was almost never the case - however Chamusso tried to follow this policy, (that was depicted well in the movie) and was jailed, because he was careful not to harm innocents.

But Chamusso's quote at the end, "That the white people were forced to abolish Apartheid", is not really true. A national vote was held 1992 in South Africa - "the referendum" - and the majority of the white people voted for the abolishment of Apartheid; so in the end black AND white South Africans made the peaceful transition in South Africa possible. So the end of the movie - which is hastily tacked on - seems bitter and resentful, but historically it all turned out well after all.

All in all, the movie is good for people who have not heard about Apartheid before - or even about South Africa. But Americans can certainly learn from this story, to achieve a better social cohesion between white and coloured people in the US.

Catches Some Sparks

[ClaytonDavis · 7/10 · 6 October 2007]

Philip Noyce's politically charged thriller starring Academy Award winner Tim Robbins and Derek Luke is brilliant and striking picture. When Patrick Chamusso (Luke) is wrongfully charged with terrorist charges and his family violently offended by the leader of the operation Nik Vos, (Robbins) Patrick joins the rebellion to fight against the regime.

As the film touches on the many tones of politics, racism, and economic problems in South Africa, the emotional and dramatic quality of the film is the beauty of it. While the screenplay has flaws in character arc, the film is as beautiful as it is tragic. Derek Luke puts forth the best performance of his short career and is on his way to many potent and demanding roles in the future. His humanity and heroism shown in Patrick carries the film on his shoulders and when years pass, this will be film we will remember Luke's breakout turn besides Antwone Fisher.

Tim Robbins brings forth a frightening turn with his spot on accent but is a little distracting and a miscast. With no direction for his character to go, many questions are left unanswered and frustrates the viewer. He still shows us he is one of the best working actors today when put in the right role.

Bonnie Henna who puts forth an admirable effort as the supportive wife, "Precious," leaves the audience a bit disenchanted but has the strong will that makes the viewer worry for her. While Patrick is training and gets his codename, "Hotstuff" in which the film is adapted from of the same title, Henna is given enough screen time to run with her role and soar.

Noyce creates some great cinematic moments with Luke but I have to say, I give Luke much of the credit. He completely engulfed himself in his role. His charm and charisma is his strongest attribute and lets the film succeed as much as it can. The film however never really "catches fire" rather sparks up all over the place.

Grade: ***/****

a very good movie about the concept of terrorism

[starlit-sky · 7/10 · 30 December 2006]

The movie takes place in South Africa during the Apertheid-era where the white minority is controlling the nation's natural resources and the black majority is trying to break free from the chains of this oppressive regime. Some black groups are organizing terrorist activities against the regime, blowing up factories, railroads, etc. Of course, the question is, if you are fighting against an oppressive regime that is controlling your country, should your fighting be considered an act of terror? I really liked the angle the movie takes in this very important question. Our hero, Patrick (Derek Luke) is actually an innocent man but subjected to terror of torture in the hands of the chief of anti-terror squad, Nic Vos (Tim Robbins). The movie does a good way of showing that government officials are just as capable of committing terror as the people it accuses of being a terrorist. Once Patrick's life is shattered, he has nothing to lose, so he joins the resistance forces. After that, it is a chase and run between Patrick and Nic. The movie nicely connects the story of Patrick to the end of the Apertheid regime, when blacks finally take control of their country. This is a must see movie for everyone who is interested in political conflicts and terrorism. I give it a 7 out of 10.

The turning point

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 28 October 2006]

Patrick Chamusso, a man who has always stayed away from the politics of his native country, South Africa, suddenly finds himself being accused for an act of terrorism at the Secunda electric plant. The police are after the ones responsible for this act of terrorism, so they have to find a scape goat to pay the price. Patrick is the the man at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Events in South Africa in the 80s are at the center of this story. The cruel white regime, a minority in the country, oppressed the large black majority. Apartheid was the law of the land then as blacks were excluded from everything. Some men rebelled and decided to fight back. Those that were found were tortured and killed. Those like Patrick Chamusso, who never felt the need to go against the whites, finds himself turning into a terrorist when he is singled out as one of the ones that had carried out the Secunda electric plant terrorist attack. When the cruel Nic Vos apprehends him, Chamusso makes up his mind to go to the other side to fight for his country's freedom.

Phillip Noyce, the director, working on the material by Shawn Slovo, has come out with a film that makes a case for people like Patrick Chamusso who goes from a passive man into a terrorist that will do anything in his power to make a statement against the oppression the white rule has subjected him and his fellow black South Africans.

It is surprising that at the end we are shown the real Patrick Chamusso, who speaks directly to the camera. He is a changed man because he feels that in his heart it's better to forgive and move on, rather than to keep all that negative energy in his heart. That's easy to do in his case because the change in his country where things changed in a positive way after the arrival of Nelson Mandela from exile and into power.

Derek Luke plays Patrick Chamusso convincingly. Tim Robbins is seen as Nic Vos, the cruel security man. Bonnie Henna appears as Precious, Patrick's wife.

Hyper-realistic, emotional and fair minded

[relian-1 · 10/10 · 11 September 2006]

This movie, set in the 1980's, depicts and contrasts the brutal oppression of White South Africa with the opposition of the ANC, most notably Joe Slovo, a hero of the time. Joe Slovo paid a high price for his opposition, including the loss of his wife to the oppressors of the day, but this movie, with a screenplay written by one of his children, takes a high-minded, forgiving approach that few of us could ever contemplate in the circumstances. Told through the eyes of Patrick Chamusso, a gentle man whose quiet life becomes radicalized by oppressive forces, the movie is powerful, emotional and, curiously - for reasons mentioned, balanced. One of the best movies I have ever seen, with a fine performance by Tim Robbins as a detective without a soul. This movie was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival where it received lengthy and well-deserved applause, as did a gracious Mr. Chamusso, who was on hand at the premiere.

Intelligent movie that shows the nature of racial policy and political events in South Africa

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 24 November 2008]

The picture shows life in Apartheid-era South Africa, it deals about the real story of Patrick Chamusso(Derek Luke), an oil refinery foreman, soccer coach and good father of family . He's married to Precious(Bonnie Henna) and with children. The president Botha's government rules in iron hand of the supremacist white minority over the black population in an oppressive system. When happen an explosion in the refinery Patrick is arrested by police colonel Nic Vos(Tim Robbins).The secretive torture and sadism that follows in custody leads to his changing ideals. His wife is also arrested and then truly starts to watch the atrocities, forced to become freedom fighter and then he goes into action. Rebellion against the repressive government breaks out his mind. He's attempting to change his world for the better but at the expense of using terrorist means. Then he goes to Mozambique where is trained by the local terrorist guerrilla and he joins the ANC, African National Congress.

This is an exciting and thrilling movie based on real events.This story about apartheid is very compelling made and deserving a fine treatment with poignant moments.It's completely convincing and makes a moving and powerful statement about the evil of the racism. Superb cast with fine all round performances; particularly from Derek Luke, he does a very good job, he's surprisingly good in the role of dad turned terrorist, and excellent Tim Robbins as sadistic torturer.The remainder of the casting was also competent enough and did splendid acting.Evocative cinematography by Garry Phillips and Ron Fortunato. Adequate musical score with African sounds by Philip Miller . The motion picture is professionally directed by Phillip Noyce.

Another films about ¨Apartheid¨ theme are the following: ¨ Cry the beloved country¨with Sidney Poitier; ¨The power of one¨ with Armin Mueller Stall and Steven Dorff;¨A world apart¨by Chris Menges with Barbara Hershey and Jodhi May; ¨A white dry season¨with Marlon Brando; ¨Cry Freedom¨ by Richard Attemborough with Denzel Washington and Kevin Kline; and the biographies, as ¨Mandela¨ with Danny Glover and Alfre Woodward as Winnie and ¨Mandela and DeKlerk¨, among others.

Been There, Done That

[pbwiener · 4/10 · 30 October 2006]

Despite magnificent cinematography and excellent acting, this film falls flat. The story is true and compelling, but the telling makes it predictable, almost farcical. Every gesture, every speech, every movement, every progression, every African song and dance, every location is exactly where it's supposed to be; the director becomes a terrible nudge, making sure you get the moral, the message, the sentiment, the irony, etc. ANS Free-dom good, Afrikaaners bad! Nothing is left to the viewer or to the art of storytelling. Nothing is subtle, except possibly Robbins' character. Many films about South African issues have been made - it's a pohotogenic place - and almost every one I've seen is more effective - like "Tsotsi" - because they respect the paradoxical isolation and global reach of politics there, not because they assumes the viewer wants to feel comfortable. This can be seen as a typical "liberal's" movie, as smugly presented as the apatheid it condemns. Even the most violent and emotionally wrenching scenes here are poorly prepared, or are beautified, or are mired in coincidence and scripted convenience. What a shame, for the 3 lead actors do a fine job. Once again, political epic is influenced by MTV.

Expertly handled political thriller

[Chris_Docker · 10/10 · 23 March 2007]

The remarkable thing about Australian director Phillip Noyce's engaging political thriller, which is set in the South Africa's apartheid era, is that he has succeeded in making a thoughtful film in a genre strewn with pitfalls.

Derek Luke plays Patrick Chamusso, a (real life) black African who becomes radicalised as a result of his wrongful detention and torture by South Africa's ruling white party. Conscious of his duty to support a family, Patrick keeps his head down, having nothing to do with terrorists and 'trouble-makers' who want to attack the massive oil-refinery where he works as a foreman. Patrick doesn't even let his aging inlaw listen to the 'Radio Freedom' channel. But after a false arrest and incarceration - during which time he is not charged and so has no right to a lawyer - Patrick is beaten senseless and then sees the same treatment meted out to his wife. The experience convert him to the cause as soon as he gets out and he's off to Mozambique to train as an ANC freedom fighter.

Patrick's opponent is Tim Robbins, who plays Nic Vos, the Colonel in an anti-terrorist squad. In a poignant montage, we see Vos receiving a medal, intercut with another shot showing the burial of murdered ANC fighters (who receive a gun-salute).

The average movie would already have made simplistic references to Guantanamo (or any other political hot topic), reduced Chamusso and Vos to mere ciphers, moralised to the point of being patronising, or wallowed in sentimentality. But Noyce is no average director. He has produced sterling thrillers such as The Bone Collector but, more importantly, has shown himself to have a firm grasp of human rights, seen in both his treatment of The Quiet American and Rabbit Proof Fence. This film is about the making of a terrorist, but within a specific historical context, and makes no judgement beyond South Africa.

The hybridisation of South African society is competently developed. Our story is told primarily from the viewpoint of blacks. This is in contrast to the usual Hollywood formula which would show whites mistreating them, and then whites eventually (and heroically) developing more enlightened views. We get to know Patrick, his family, his shortcomings, his daily life and his love of football. Yet focussing too narrowly on him could have turned Catch a Fire into mere polemic. Instead, Robbins is also allowed to develop the character of Vos, who we see as a man doing what he believes is best rather than someone who is an out-and-out monster. The Colonel also has a family he loves, and teaches his daughters that his job is to make the country a safe place for them to live in. He can calmly oversee torture one minute and play good cop the next -yet conveying sincerity to both attitudes.

South Africa today is neither the country that it was under apartheid, nor the country that it was before outside nations established control. Crucial insights paved the way for South Africa's 'freedom' - rather than a victory of one race over another. Concepts like universal sharing and passive resistance. This is epitomised in the film when a saying of Nelson Mandela is recalled - 'we can never be free until we learn to forgive'.

The real life Patrick (who makes a brief appearance in the film) now lives with Conney, a woman he married after his release. They have children of their own and have fostered over 70 AIDS orphans at their Two Sisters charity (http://www.twosisters.org.za/ - which appears in the end-credits). The addition of documentary details may annoy some audiences who wanted to leave the cinema purely after a thriller, but for this viewer the cut to real-life seemed an excellent anchor without giving way to sermonising.

Catch a Fire is a complex political thriller based on at least one historical character. It documents an important chapter of history. The degree to which there are parallels or lessons for other situations in the present day is left entirely for the viewer. What is clear is that Noyce has once again handled a multifaceted and challenging story with skill and even-handedness.

Are You Ready To Die?

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 30 October 2006]

Greetings again from the darkness. Director Phillip Noyce has brought us some good films ("Dead Calm", "Patriot Games") and some not so good films ("Sliver"). His style in shooting is very professional and his films always feel well planned out. This film is the remarkable story of Patrick Chamusso who was just trying to live a "normal" life and provide for his family until driven to join the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa when he and his wife are erroneously tortured after a crime they knew nothing of.

The story demonstrates how one thing can send a person's life flying off track despite their best intentions. Derek Luke is excellent as Patrick and Tim Robbins plays the government agent responsible for motivating Patrick to take action that so went against his personality. I have often thought Robbins is overrated as an actor ("Mystic River") but here he is quietly chilling in his pursuit of terrorists against his way of life. Also amazing is the performance of Bonnie Henna as Precious, Patrick's wife.

Written by Shawn Slovo (who also wrote "A World Apart"and whose parents were the white leaders of the anti-apartheid movement), the story is fascinating ... but for a film, something is missing. We feel for Patrick and his family, but overall there is an emotional disconnect between the viewer and the characters. At the end we see clips of the real Patrick Chanusso and his "family" of more than 80 kids. This man has a wonderful story to tell and a real documentary would probably be more effective than Noyce's dramatic attempt. Nothing wrong, but something is just missing here.

I don't know

[ragou · 4/10 · 29 January 2007]

Yesterday I watched a film that made Russians monsters in the Afganistan war (1988). I watched "Apocalypse now", when Americans were monsters many years before. Now I watch American movies that tell me about the American heroes in Vietnam. Now I watch Russian movies that tell me the about their heroes. I am confused. At last, are Americans and Russians invaders, or liberators? I have never believed creators of such kind of propaganda. As someone said "The winners could not be judged". I have a friend that told me a phrase - It doesn't matter what we are talking about. Everything is about money. I am Bulgarian. 120 years ago a Bulgarian POET and revolutionary, together with 80 men hijacked a ship on Danube River an said that he is the captain now (a terrorist?). He landed on Bulgarian coast to fight against Turkish empire to free us form Turkish yoke, and of course he died (you can not defeat an Empire with 80 men). He is national HERO, he is not a terrorist. Every year at 2nd of July at noon, the entire nation stands up in honor of him and his cause. Freedom. But another poet said that the freedom is a sweet thing, but hungry freedom is just a slavery. I'm sorry for my poor English. Best regards to Everyone. I'm tired of watching propaganda. Why IRA are heroes for somebody and terrorists for someone else? The only answer is that everything is about money. Nobody kills the slaves. They work for the master. But when a slave rises up he becomes a terrorist. There is no war, and no invasion that is not connected with money. I saw a movie when Nelson Mandela said that Castro is his best friend because in time of trouble he supported him. Now, the rich South Africa helps him. Why? To keep your power you need money (oil, el. power,gold, steel, etc.). It's very easy to live when someone works for you. And I'll do everything to keep "status quo". Every movie of this kind is just a try to acquit the fact that white man (as Jack London writes) pursues (or looks after) the black man "with the bible,gun and bottle of whisky}. That's because I don't trust this movie. P.S. Terry Pratchet writes about "Discworld", a world that is just a fantasy, but strangely I trust him more.

A glimpse of the endings of South African apartheid in the 1980s.

[TxMike · 11 April 2007]

I am not a historian and I know little about apartheid in South Africa. However in this movie we find that Patrick Chamusso is a real person and that most of the story in this movie really happened the way it is told. A good movie, with high production values.

Tim Robbins is Colonel Nic Vos, and he sounds authentic with either an Irish or South African accent. He is a member of the ruling white government and always on the watch for revolutionists.

American Derek Luke is believable as Patrick Chamusso, a humble refinery worker with a family and who is wrongly suspected of being a revolutionist. Torturing him for names, which he cannot give, they also end up mistreating his wife, Bonnie Mbuli as Precious Chamusso. This angers him, makes him fully realize the need to combat apartheid, and he leaves home to train with the revolutionists.

The movie is often not fun to watch because of the themes depicted, but it has a favorable ending, and we see one of the freedom fighters who helped end apartheid in the early 1990s.

Joseph Campbell in Africa

[eastbergholt2002 · 7/10 · 9 June 2007]

Catch a Fire is overly formulaic and doesn't have anything new to say about the apartheid. But it does look good and it's well acted and slickly directed. The film shares many plot similarities to other Joseph Campbell influenced narratives like the Star Wars movies or Braveheart. The film is set in South Africa in 1980. The film's reluctant hero is Patrick Chamusso who works as a foreman at the Secunda oil refinery. Patrick has a good life: he owns a car, has a beautiful wife and in his spare time, he coaches a local boys soccer team.

The freedom fighters / terrorists of the African National Congress (ANC) are fighting to overthrow South Africa's white-led government. As a black man Patrick suffers the occasional humiliation at the hands of the country's police but he doesn't complain or get involved in politics. The film doesn't dwell on the fact that Patrick is a refugee from the Mozambique civil war which ended in 1992, with over 900,000 dying from fighting and starvation.

In many Hollywood films white South Africans are often portrayed as evil and sadistic. Tim Robbins plays Nic Vos / Darth Vader a colonel in the country's anti-terrorism police. Vos is shown as a devoted husband and father but his job is to capture terrorists. After the ANC plants a bomb at the refinery, Patrick comes under suspicion and is arrested. Patrick is a womanizer and his initial alibi is exposed as a lie. He is beaten-up but when his wife is tortured he becomes angry and seeks revenge. Although found to be innocent and released, Patrick travels to Mozambique and joins an ANC terrorism school. He returns to South Africa and blows up the refinery. Patrick plays an unenthusiastic warrior who helps overthrow an evil regime. He is arrested again, and spends over ten years at the Robben Island prison with Nelson Mandela.

Most recent films about Africa paint it in a negative light. They show corrupt, genocidal hellholes, child soldiers, wide-scale barbarism, anarchy and starvation. What happened in South Africa now seems relatively low key by comparison. The film also fails to shock because TV shows like 24 seem to condone torture in terrorist interrogations. With the present day reality of prisons like Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo the actions of Vos and his men seem almost tame. Overall, it's a well-made movie.

A good drama without a real ending

[andi-ii · 7/10 · 23 January 2007]

The film is a well set drama about people struggling for their freedom in their own country, South Africa, based on a true story. As "Hotel Rwanda" and "Shooting Dogs" before, this one is a great peace of entertaining, while it won't leave you indifferent to what actually happened. It's emotional power is impressive, especially for every africanophile. Still, it remains a movie, relating some facts, but not the whole truth. The movie does certainly not use up all of its great potential. At the end, it turns to be a bit too hasty, and important events which would have enriched the story are left behind.

Eventually, I just hope this great film starring Tim Robbins and the excellent Derek Luke will general attention on problems in Africa, and not only those of the past.

Good movie, worth seeing.

[Killakai · 7/10 · 16 June 2007]

This film deals with an apolitical black man in apartheid South Africa, who is pulled into the fray against the gov't after he is falsely accuse of terrorism by the head of anti-terrorism in the South African govt.

This film is beautiful. The cinematography is excellent, the relationship between Patrick and his family is shown well, and we are made to see that Patrick is a good guy, with a good job, who just wants to be a father and husband and nothing more.

We also see Tim Robbins and his family and how he deals the omnipresent threat of violence from the people he is apart of oppressing. He is shown as a human character, he loves his wife and kids, he sings folk songs, and he runs a South African Guantanamo bay; hes a bad man.

I cried at one point in the movie, and was interested throughout, the pacing was good. There just seemed to be something missing from it. I mean it was a pretty good movie, I just felt like there was another 20 minutes that belonged in the movie. I didn't quite feel like it was enough.

Also the narration towards the end of the movie seemed a little stiff to me, as if Derek Luke wasn't comfortable reading it with an accent so he delivered it really choppy. Thats very minor.

Having said all of that its definitely worth seeing. People will say its a movie about terrorism and I guess in one sense it is. But Americans have such a distorted view of terrorism. Its like if you are a group of people in a country fighting and you don't have an official army with tanks and planes you are a terrorist. But if you have a real army with tanks and planes you aren't a terrorist and if you blow things up its not terrorism. Terrorist/terrorism is a political word and this movie proves it.

Solid,gripping drama that comes close to becoming a thought-provoking look at terrorism.

[HiddenVoice · 7/10 · 26 October 2006]

A powerfully directed and acted drama that touches on the issues of terrorism.And in a way it favors terrorism like V for Vendetta did.That it is not entirely their fault that they turned into terrorists.It closely relates to the Iraq war,of how the US army takes over another man's land and forces them to become terrorists to fight for their freedom.The rage inside those people unleashes their inner demons and the only freedom they see is terrorism,but that leads to even worse results.

This is a true story about South African family man, Patric Chamusso(Derek Luke) who is an oil refinery foreman and he teaches soccer as well during the hectic days of the 1980's.All he wants is a happy life with his family and he's happy with what he has.He has found happiness and peace.But when he along with his wife are jailed without much explanation,Patrick could not take it.After being beaten and harassed for unexplained reasons,he decides to fight back.He chooses to fight back for what the CIA has taken away from him,his Happiness.He joins an organization and fights back until he realizes that the system itself is corrupt.He is being sought by CIA agent Nic Vos(Tim Robbins) who interrogated him during his arrest.Then begins a furious action thriller with striking results.

Philip Noyce has given many political dramas,especially with Harrison Ford ,adapting the Tom Clancy novels.So,it's no surprise that this film is a good one.It's got terrific setup and builds up the characters well.It's emotionally effective and delivers good action.It deals with very thoughtful issues of terrorism and its victims.And it nails it with a great job.Director Noyce has given you yet another effective drama that is comparable or somewhat better than the Harrison Ford films.The script is really well written and despite having flaws ,especially towards the end,it manages to bring about its message.It's really trying to say something about the American Invasion on Iraq and the state of the world today or one's country.And how one makes a choice to secure his/her freedom through terrorism.

Strong performances are the main highlight of this tense thriller.Derek Luke may want to watch out this year for his nomination and surprising Tim Robbins is also fantastic in an anti-villain role.Luke's rage perfectly shows the character's feelings.How he was abused and how he wants to get back on the one's who did this to him.His methods are dangerous but he sees his victory in it.The action is solid,and there are thrills to be satisfied.But above all it's a really good political drama.Satisfying in most levels.

A definite look is recommended.A well made action thriller that doesn't go over the top or preaches on its political terms,and in return has a thoughtful message to spread.A fine effort and will satisfy everyone.

3.5/5 7.5/10 B+

Not bad

[ctg0724 · 9/10 · 20 March 2007]

It's a shame this movie was so overshadowed by Blood Diamond. Catch A Fire had, in my opinion, a much more powerful story.

All acting was done perfect. I loved the cinematography with the plant in the background. I could really feel the emotion of the Africans chanting and singing for freedom.

Some will say this movie is racist towards white people. It is nothing of the sort. It even has a white or two on the side for justice. This movie didn't make Tim Robbin's character look evil. At least I didn't think so. I saw him as a man doing what he thought he needed to do to protect his family.

I think we need to learn from this story. There are terrorists all over the world. We say they are pure evil. We say we will solve the problem by hunting them down and killing them. With some, that may be necessary. But most just want justice, and want to be heard.

A missed chance

[Ismaninb · 6/10 · 1 April 2007]

Catch a Fire has many ingredients for a good, maybe excellent movie. The actors are fine, the story is interesting, the themes are human and important, the cinematography is beautiful. There is a convincing villain with a devilish charm. The daughter of this villain is rebelling, so there are conflicts in abundance. Still Catch a Fire does not work, one might even call it a failure. How comes? The problem, I think, is that hardly any theme is completely developed. Many themes easily can be missed, so briefly mentioned as they are. Take adultery and jealousy. These are essential for the story. Still we are to believe, that Patrick and Precious immediately forgive each other, when Patrick is freed. But no, in the epilogue we learn they are divorced some time later. Or the revenge theme, see the final scene with Nic Vos. Or the friendship theme - halfway the movie Patrick's best friend just disappears. Or Nic Vos' rebelling daughter. With some effort I could go on and on. Catch a fire wants way too much - or is too short, depending on what view you take. It wants to present musical, drama, action, suspense, politics. In the end it is nothing. Though I did not really get the chance to become involved, I was not bored or annoyed either. For its good intentions I rate it 6/10. But I might be a bit prejudiced pro this movie, because of Tim Robbins and because of the subject. I have made a tiny contribution to ANC's work myself 30 years ago.

The Fugitive in Political Drag

[dhlough-1 · 4/10 · 3 November 2006]

Derek Luke has a serene, focused presence. His beautiful skin, cheekbones, sensuous lips, soulful eyes are easy to take in. In the film Antwone Fisher he displayed a wounded sensitivity like that of James Dean. His performance was revelatory: fresh, precise, tender. In Phillip Noyce's Catch a Fire Luke's work is again revealing.

He is glaringly miscast.

As Patrick Chamusso, a foreman at South Africa's Secunda oil refinery during apartheid, Luke must transform from an apolitical family man into an impassioned African National Congress "terrorist" against the Boer's Police Security Branch. Luke's accent is flawless; he's effective early on as a man determined to live fully amidst horrific circumstances. Yet once he's falsely accused of masterminding an explosion at Secunda, then he and his wife Precious (Bonnie Henna) are beaten and demoralized, he leaves his family to train in Mozambique with the ANC.

Here's where the film falters. The actor delivers lines in a fluid monotone, seduced by the musicality of that lovely patois. He spends so much time on the accent that he forgets to act. He has no range; no depth. He's a little boy trapped in political mire. Which may be part of the point, yet without an actor to suggest the shadings of injustice – and to hold his own against Tim Robbin's expertly awful Nic Vos – we're left with a version of The Fugitive wearing fancy political drag.

One other note: there's singing in Catch a Fire. Tons of it. African folk singing. Beautiful, in fact. However, every time a crowd opens its collective mouth, they sound remarkably like Ladysmith Black Mambazo – even when they are the workers at the oil factory standing in line. In the interest of verisimilitude, would it be too much to ask that at least one person be tone deaf and unable to carry a tune?

Catch a Fire is powerful and emotional

[mikestarwars · 9/10 · 27 October 2006]

Catch a Fire is surprisingly powerful and emotional. This emotion is assisted by a very moving soundtrack of South African music. The emotion is also feed by a brutal force of "anti-terrorists", with some of their interrogation techniques being very hard to watch for a PG-13 rated film. Though most violence is implied the film still does a very good job of portraying the brutality of the treatment that suspected terrorists in South Africa received. This film also does a great job of showing the terrorists side of the fight and offers insight into their motivation. The film focuses on people and their motivations and anyone can identify with almost every character. Despite being based on a true story and being a fairly realistic portrayal of the actual events, this film somehow manages to have enough action and suspense to have a fairly high entertainment value. A must see for anyone who enjoys historical films or drama/thrillers. 9/10

Great film, but fails on so many levels

[Emideon · 7/10 · 31 October 2006]

I saw the film Saturday, knowing that it wouldn't be up for long, and was somewhat left with a feeling of satisfaction of such a film even being distributed in the U.S. and the courage of the films creator's, but with a sense of obvious revisionism.

The film is about South Africa during the brutal years of Apartheid (violent segregation), opening with a grim reminder of the seriousness of the issue, we see a montage of old BBC clips and a commentator giving us a brief overview of the situation, we see images of Blacks being shot, beat, and a world of oppression. We then meet the cast. The film pays a great amount of time on Patrick Chamusso's family life, some may say this is to make the characters more human and the story more engaging, but it seemed to me that it should have dealt more with Apartheid. It felt much too long before anything really begins.

I'll avoid boring people with yet another narration of the plot, but Patrick is imprisoned and tortured, when his own wife is put through the very same he becomes enraged, and upon his release he seeks revenge and see's the necessity of overthrowing the government. Throughout the film, only slight remarks are ever uttered about the conflict, and the terrorist actions in the beginning really only begin to matter around the end portion of the film. This is the most troublesome part of the whole film to me, the ANC, the war in Angola, the war in Mozambique, the Cold War, the situation in Africa as a whole is almost ignored (we only see a hammer and sickle once in the entire film for god sakes, yet Marxist movements dominated social life there for decades). The story of Patrick Chamusso, is overly simplified to depict a revenge story and nothing more, nothing about the ideals he fought for. Never is the intentions of the African National Congress portrayed, the guerrilla war in the North and the overall fervor is omitted. With a story that although succeeds as a humanitarian story it fails to really show the terror, the movements, and In the end we are left with a simplified Africa.

I give it a 7 out of ten.

Film Could Easily Have Been 'Hot Stuff', Except for...**SPOILER**

[nzallblacks_12 · 3/10 · 20 January 2012]

'Catch a Fire' is a well acted film about South Africa. Set during the turbulent 1980s the film is rather macabre. That term applies to both its content and context.

The dominant theme is Apartheid. Specifically, the film focuses on the black peoples' struggle against the ruling segregationist white regime. That usually is the case with most of these films.

As I expected, the story unfolds in a township. Straight away, the plot is told mainly from the oppressed native peoples' perspective. In this instance, that perspective belongs to the ANC or African National Congress. Famous former prisoner, Nelson Mandela, was one of the group's founding members.

When we do hear from the supposed oppressor or Boers' point of view, it comes in fleeting glimpses or as banal catch phrases. And usually all we see or hear from the 'whites' is always in the negative.

The South African Boer or European colonizer can't catch a break anywhere in the film. That's because Hollywood and much of the world treat the colonizer farmers with contempt. And during these tumultuous modern times that contempt approaches or exceeds the degree once reserved for the 20th century's archetypal ruthless killer villains or Nazis.

The film's hero, Patrick Chamusso, is based on the same real life ANC freedom fighter. Derek Luke, an American actor gives a good impression of the man.

Chamusso's main antagonist is Nik Vos. He's a Boer and the head of the state's anti-terrorist branch. His character is portrayed by another American, Tim Robbins. Robbins gives a convincing if not chilling performance. His accent is nothing less than all southern hemisphere Boer.

Now I'll get back to Chamusso...

The film makes a case that he started out as an innocent peace loving family man. Patrick, who also is employed as a foreman at the state's oil refinery, Secunda, lived a model life even for a black man. Ostensibly the film suggests that Patrick was as far removed from politics and the ANC's armed struggle as Pepsi is from being a drink option on McDonald's drive through menu.

Chamusso's presumed innocence and neutrality soon change. A recent terrorist attack on the oil facility saw to that. Always diligent, Inspector Vos sniffs Chamusso's scent at the scene. Not satisfied with Patrick's alibi that he coached football that day, the zealot (terrorizing) Boer soon arrests him. To persuade Patrick to confess to the crime, Vos even resorts to torture.

And that gruesome treatment is not exclusive for Chamusso. Soon after, he arrests Patrick's wife. When the couple meet later in detention, she reveals her broken jaw, courtesy of Vos' interrogation methods.

Fast forward...

That is the last straw. Now Chamusso's former peace loving resolve is replaced by his rancor. In mere minutes he hikes to Mocambique. On his arrival in Maputo, the capital, Patrick joins his few happy but totally banned freedom fighting ANC brothers and sisters.

Minutes later we see Patrick dancing smartly to the beat of 'Kill the Boer'. He even finds solace in the steely form of either an AK-47 rifle, a bazooka or in Russian made Limpet mines.

At the terrorist training camp he meets Joe Slovo. The banned and exiled (still) leader of the South African Communist party then befriends Chamusso. Big Joe even gives him a nickname. Patrick is now 'Hot Stuff'!

Start to finish, Aussie director Noyce's overarching message is to romanticize the terrorist ANC. He desires so much to legitimize the ANC's armed struggle as just. Probably with much of their audience, the Hollywood freedom loving liberal producers/directors succeeded. However that tact did not gain my sympathy. The total bias of the film's backers was clear to me. In my opinion, they are guilty of overreaching in their rush to judgment against the Boers in general.

For starters, they neglected to mention that 'Father' Mandela as the real life Patrick Chamusso affectionately refers to him never renounced terror against the South African state or its peoples. In fact violence was the ANC's preferred method to enact political change in South Africa. And it still is, even now.

To be fair, prisoner Nelson Mandela iterated that while incarcerated he could not guarantee the ANC at large would renounce violence against the state and its citizens. Fair enough...

Had the film's brain trust provided even a snippet of context such as mentioning the Boer regime's well founded fear the ANC was equally a Marxist Leninist political party as it was an African Native Army, well, I could have easily upped the star count.

As it was, three is as liberal as I get.