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to figure out if it's past or present.

The cast is very solid; Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four, King Arthur) turns in a spectacular performance as William Wilberforce. The character goes through many changes over the course of the movie, from stalwart abolitionist, to a man unsure of his place in the world and more beyond that, but Gruffudd seemed very comfortable in each position.

I have to try very hard to think of a scene that he seemed awkward in, and the best I could come up with is a scene where he sings, but even that is excused because the song he's singing is the name of the movie.

Another notable performance is Rufus Sewell (I think he's best known for his portrayal of the arrogant love-to-hate character of Count Adhemar in A Knight's Tale, but he also played Armand in The Legend of Zorro). He plays Thomas Clarkson, a noted anti-slavery advocate who had a huge influence on the historical Wilberforce.

In Amazing Grace, Clarkson at times plays the role of Wilberforce's emotions; it almost seems like an internal struggle of emotion versus logic during some of the scenes they share.

Clarkson is around to remind Wilberforce about the stark side of the human element involved in slavery, and he helps to drive the legislation into Parliament through his hard work and determination behind the scenes of the abolitionist movement.
Wilberforce's love interest, Barbara (relative unknown Romola Garai, Vanity Fair), could have been developed further, and if the movie had been about a lighter topic than slavery I would say that this is definitely a flaw, but I feel that it fits.
The romance plays second fiddle to the story of putting forward the bills and feeling out the issue of slavery, and the trade-off is nice.

I think it would have seemed trite to have a steamy on-screen romance when the protagonist is trying to free an entire race from servitude, and the writers did a good job of using the romance to further the plot (instead of having the plot stop while the characters delve into their feelings).

In fact, almost every subplot in the movie feeds into the overarching challenge of taking down the slave trade, and it all culminates in the final few minutes of the movie. For a movie about the British political process, the final climax drags you to the edge of your seat, so sticking through some of the down parts is completely worth it.

Another well-done performance was Michael Gambon (Open Range, The Omen) as Lord Charles Fox, a savvy British politician who sides with the abolitionists.
The parliamentary process was very well done, and the historical accuracy of the movie was passable; considering Hollywood's track record for rewriting in the name of drama, it could have been much worse.

Obviously, there are some issues, especially with how some of the characters were used, but overall, the story is presented well.

The ending scene of Amazing Grace was very fitting and nicely done; after two hours of serious buildup, an ending that was too pedestrian would have severely damaged the movie, but instead, it really ties everything up and leaves the audience saying, 'wow.'

In all, Amazing Grace does a good job portraying the hellacious uphill battle faced by abolitionists in 18th century England, and along the way, takes viewers on an unforgettable tour of religion, morality, and human rights.

Learn more about this author, Ian Essling.
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