Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Forgiveness

2004 1h 52m Drama List
60% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
A disgraced ex-cop's trip to a small town triggers a cathartic journey of forgiveness and revenge for himself and the family of the activist he killed.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Ed Gonzalez Slant Magazine Ultimately, the film's stilted design is more transparent than clever, for which there shouldn't be any excuse. Rated: 2/4 Oct 18, 2008 Full Review Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times Everyone's sorry about something in this glum drama about the way repentance can do more damage than the sin that precedes it. Rated: 2.5/5 Jul 9, 2008 Full Review Maureen M. Hart Chicago Tribune Though the film could have used better explainers for some of its talking heads...its message is as satisfying as the sweetest revenge. Rated: 3/4 Jul 9, 2008 Full Review Maitland McDonagh TV Guide Gabriel and screenwriter Greg Latter tackle a thorny subject and do justice to its complexities for much of the film's running time, only succumbing to cliches of healing and closure at the end. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 9, 2008 Full Review Kam Williams EURWeb More truth than reconciliation in post-Apartheid revenge flick. Rated: 4/4 Jul 9, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (7) audience reviews
Audience Member This was reasonably well-shot, but I thought the far more interesting storyline was the cop's, not the family's, and I found it psychologically underdeveloped. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member a great character piece starring Vosloo of Mummy fame about a guilt ridden police officer searching out the family he is respoinsible for committing a grave injustice towards. Worth searching out for acting chops. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member My question was why did he bother. Quite a pathetic creature and movie which didn't really say anything. Portrayed the grim life of some people living on the West Coast. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Seen this at the 2004 Locarno festival. A real shame it never made it into european cinemas. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member A very powerful film dealing with sensitive subject matter with a refreshingly familiar South African Cast. The film plays of against the background of the post-Apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) - which was headed by the Anglican Archbishop and anti-apartheid figure, Desmond Tutu. As part of the process perpetrators of human rights abuses under Apartheid were invited to give full confessions in return for clemency. The TRC also facilitated, where possible, for victims of such abuse, or in the case where anti-apartheid activists were killed for their relatives, to meet (if both parties wished to do so). The film's fictional plot revolves around just such a situation. Arnold Volsoo, although based in Hollywood these days, returns to a perfect South African (Afrikaans) accent and gives a brilliant portrayal of a former apartheid security police member. He travels to a small remote Karoo town to meet with the family of an activist who was killed by the security police during Apartheid. The movie, in my mind, gives a very realistic image of what was both a miraculously brave TRC process as well as it having been fallible. The anguish and utter tension in the family of the victim meeting the perpetrator is very well depicted. As South African tour operator I often meet foreign academics and well-read & traveled people. Many of them who have an interest in human rights, etc., speak of great admiration for South Africa's TRC process. While it should never be forgotten that the TRC could never reach everyone affected by Apartheid's injustices, nor cure the system's legacy, it was an incredibly unique, brave and huge endeavor. This film brings the impact of it down to the lives of a few individuals and in my mind does a remarkable job of it. This movie is must viewing for anyone interested in South Africa's painful walk out of the shadows of Apartheid. South Africans especially should watch this movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member A self righteous pile of rubbish about how black South Africans should learn to forgive their former white superiors for years of Apartheid ( White policeman: "Sorry we oppressed you". B lack victim: "Sorry we were so oppressing"). Moral of this story: Sit close to the aisle whenever possible and then when escaping, make it look like your going to the bathroom thus not offending any visiting filmmakers whom you might want work from afterwards. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Forgiveness

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A disgraced ex-cop's trip to a small town triggers a cathartic journey of forgiveness and revenge for himself and the family of the activist he killed.
Director
Ian Gabriel
Producer
Cindy Gabriel
Screenwriter
Greg Latter
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 8, 2016
Runtime
1h 52m