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Feb 26, 2011wgaikins rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Terrific movie - the end of apartheid - William Hurt (brilliant again), Chiwetel Ejiofor (brilliant). The could have show the affects of the violence, the sanctions, the international system, but anyone around at that time would have been very aware. Instead the focused on the negotiations, and here is where it gets interesting, things we were not privy to watching the news. Michael Young (Jonny Lee Miller), a senior employee of Consolidated Gold, a goldmining company based in GB; he sees that Apartheid is a failing, dying system, and he wants to see its end. He goes on a mission, backed by his Chief Executive to bring the African National Congress, and the National Party together for secret talks in London. Of course, there are threats because something like this cannot truly be secret... After struggling to find a moderate third party Young is able to recruit Will Esterhuyse (William Hurt), a philosophy professor who believes in the ideas of social justice. The ANC use Thabo Mbeki (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the then information director, as chief negotiator..... not really a political thriller, but there were certainly some scenes that were provocative. Endgame by definition, is the closing stage of a chess game, where only a few pieces remain a very apt title for a very interesting film.