Nelson Mandela’s remarkable life story, based on his 1994 memoir. Young Mandela (Elba) is politicised as a lawyer, joins the ANC fight against South Africa’s white oppressors, meets feisty social worker Winnie (Harris), and the rest is history...

Verdict
A film that tells a remarkable story is not necessarily the same thing as a remarkable film, and Justin Chadwick's solidly crafted chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life falls very respectably into the former category. Watching the extraordinary facts of Nelson Mandela's life played out on screen will always be fascinating, and the conventional approach taken here is understandable if ultimately disappointing - you can sense at every turn the filmmakers' reluctance to risk overshadowing their subject.
It’s vivid, substantial and works hard to be worthy, but as it ticks off the milestones of a monumental life it flickers more often than it really catches fire. 

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