I was just going to review this movie, but since it turned out to be quite good, and may not be the easiest thing for people to get ahold of, I decided to recap it instead. My messy, handwritten notes were about 14 pages long, so it will be a two part recap. (And will presumably take up far less space now that it's being typed, and I'm editing it down as I go).
Congo: Native Africans working in a diamond mine. They are being watched and recorded by two geologists, Sarah & Stephanie. Just as a teenaged worker finds a large diamond, some Rebel Soldiers arrive. Steph wants to leave because it isn't safe, but Sarah goes to introduce herself to the soldiers while Steph films her. Sarah is shot in the head, and the soldiers open fire on everyone else as they run for cover. Steph drops the camera as she runs. The boy who found the diamond is killed. One of the soldiers pockets the video camera while another takes the diamond from the dead boy.
USA: A republican senator is having a campaign party. The senator is Sarah's mother (hereafter known as Senator Mom {American spelling because she's American}), and she is told of her daughter's death during the party.
Johannesburg: Head of the Denmont Diamond Company (Daddy Denmont) is holding an engagement party for his youngest son, Evan. His older son (Evil Denmont) shows up with the diamond that was taken from the dead boy.
London: A young woman is being prepared to model in a show featuring Denmont diamonds.
Sierra Leone: Diamond mine. Workers are digging for diamonds, then bringing them to rebel soldiers who are underpaying. A worker argues over the amount he is given and is shot by a little boy soldier, who looks to be about 10-12 years old.
USA: Sarah's funeral. Steph is very sad, and feeling guilty that Sarah was murdered as she was in charge of the mission.
If this movie was a graphic novel this would be the point where Steph would swear to avenge her friend's death, and then become a superhero.
It would look like this:
That doesn't happen.
Senator Mom wants to go on a UN backed mission to bring Sarah's killer to justice.
Africa (probably Johannesburg): The Board Members of the Denmont Diamond Company are having a meeting about how the don't control enough of the diamond trade. The Chairmanship is taken away from Daddy Denmont and handed over to Evil Denmont, possibly because he is clearly evil and willing to engage in unscrupulous practices.
Sierra Leone: Boy Soldier is being sent on a mission to smuggle diamonds into Liberia.
Canada: Steph's dad (who is also her boss), has sent her to do some geological survey work with a mining group. She is collected at the airstrip by Lou, a grumpy guy who is not happy she's there. He takes her to a strip clup to meet the rest of the team. I'm not sure if that's because they're hazing her, of if they just hang out there regularly. The guys are largely obnoxious. The pole dancer can't dance and her underwear is a horrible shade of green.
USA: Senator Mom is at a reception for the UN group that will be traveling to Africa. At the bar she meets Daddy Denmont who tells her to look him up should she make it to Johannesburg.
London: Diamond Model has been made the 'face' of Denmont Diamonds. She impresses Evil Denmont with her attitude. Also I'm pretty sure he wants to get her in the sack.
Liberian Border: Boy Soldier makes it to the border checkpoint. He takes the diamonds he's smuggling out of his backpack and puts them a teddy bear belonging to a little kid sitting nearby. He takes them back after they have made it through.
London: Boring meeting about diamonds.
Canada: Steph arrives at the exploration camp. They guy who plays Dyson on Lost Girl shows up and I find him just as skeevy here as I do on Lost Girl. His name is Denver, but I shall be calling him Dyson. Dyson tells Steph the guy she replaced died on the job.
Angola: A previously unseen diamond mine owned by Russians. Some shady looking guys show up and kill a bunch of people.
Congo: Senator Mom has arrived and is being escorted to a reception with the Congolese President. Rich, fancy people sure do have a lot of receptions.
After the reception an aide to the president (or a man claiming to be an aide) gives Senator Mom an envelope he says contains a clue about Sarah's death. It is a videotape with footage from right before Sarah was shot.
Johannesburg: Pointless scene with Daddy Denmont and his wife.
London: Diamond Model is being grilled by Denmont PR people about how to handle questions as to whether Denmont trades in blood diamonds.
Liberia: Boy Soldier makes it to the home of his contact in Liberia, a man who appears to be of Middle Eastern descent, named Mohammed. As he walks in, a boy around the same age is taking photos of him until he is told to stop by his older sister. Mohammed is happy with the diamonds and invites Soldier Boy to stay for a few days until someone can take him back to Sierra Leone.
Canada: Even though the team ask her to sit with them Steph sits by herself at dinner. It's not made clear if this is because she doesn't like and/or trust them, or if she just likes to be on her own. Dyson joins her, and it's at this point I find out that one of the guys on the team is actually named Dyson, so I shall start calling Lost Girl Dyson by his character name, Denver.
After dinner Denver goes to see Steph in her tent and she tells him she thinks they are digging in the wrong spot. She wants him to get everyone together early in the morning so she can show them where she thinks they should be digging.
Lou tells Steph she's wrong and they get into a little pissing match over it. He tells everyone about people dying on her last mission, and for some reason Steph doesn't point out that they were killed by rebel soldiers, which has nothing to do with her skills as a geologist. The team goes with Lou.
Steph calls her dad and says she wants off the mission. He won't let her, and he's being a bit of dick about it so she hangs up on him. She's sad. Awww.
Congo: Senator Mom is taken to a warehousy place by Tape Guy. The have the soldier who shot Sarah tied up, and they've been torturing him for information. Senator Mom isn't too happy about the torturing, but then they show her the rest of the tape, so she sees Sarah's being killed. The soldier confirms that she was killed because of diamonds.
London: Yet another diamond party.
Liberia: The Congolese President shows up at Mohammed's house. They are clearly involved in some shady dealings. Camera Boy takes photos and the President notices and accuses Mohammed of setting him up. In order to prove himself trustworthy Mohammed orders Camera Boy be killed. Boy Soldier shoots the gunman in the head, and after Camera Boy's sister gives Boy Soldier some diamonds she stole from Mohammed's safe, they run away.
End part 1.
Congo: Native Africans working in a diamond mine. They are being watched and recorded by two geologists, Sarah & Stephanie. Just as a teenaged worker finds a large diamond, some Rebel Soldiers arrive. Steph wants to leave because it isn't safe, but Sarah goes to introduce herself to the soldiers while Steph films her. Sarah is shot in the head, and the soldiers open fire on everyone else as they run for cover. Steph drops the camera as she runs. The boy who found the diamond is killed. One of the soldiers pockets the video camera while another takes the diamond from the dead boy.
USA: A republican senator is having a campaign party. The senator is Sarah's mother (hereafter known as Senator Mom {American spelling because she's American}), and she is told of her daughter's death during the party.
Johannesburg: Head of the Denmont Diamond Company (Daddy Denmont) is holding an engagement party for his youngest son, Evan. His older son (Evil Denmont) shows up with the diamond that was taken from the dead boy.
London: A young woman is being prepared to model in a show featuring Denmont diamonds.
Sierra Leone: Diamond mine. Workers are digging for diamonds, then bringing them to rebel soldiers who are underpaying. A worker argues over the amount he is given and is shot by a little boy soldier, who looks to be about 10-12 years old.
USA: Sarah's funeral. Steph is very sad, and feeling guilty that Sarah was murdered as she was in charge of the mission.
If this movie was a graphic novel this would be the point where Steph would swear to avenge her friend's death, and then become a superhero.
It would look like this:
Senator Mom wants to go on a UN backed mission to bring Sarah's killer to justice.
Africa (probably Johannesburg): The Board Members of the Denmont Diamond Company are having a meeting about how the don't control enough of the diamond trade. The Chairmanship is taken away from Daddy Denmont and handed over to Evil Denmont, possibly because he is clearly evil and willing to engage in unscrupulous practices.
Sierra Leone: Boy Soldier is being sent on a mission to smuggle diamonds into Liberia.
Canada: Steph's dad (who is also her boss), has sent her to do some geological survey work with a mining group. She is collected at the airstrip by Lou, a grumpy guy who is not happy she's there. He takes her to a strip clup to meet the rest of the team. I'm not sure if that's because they're hazing her, of if they just hang out there regularly. The guys are largely obnoxious. The pole dancer can't dance and her underwear is a horrible shade of green.
USA: Senator Mom is at a reception for the UN group that will be traveling to Africa. At the bar she meets Daddy Denmont who tells her to look him up should she make it to Johannesburg.
London: Diamond Model has been made the 'face' of Denmont Diamonds. She impresses Evil Denmont with her attitude. Also I'm pretty sure he wants to get her in the sack.
Liberian Border: Boy Soldier makes it to the border checkpoint. He takes the diamonds he's smuggling out of his backpack and puts them a teddy bear belonging to a little kid sitting nearby. He takes them back after they have made it through.
London: Boring meeting about diamonds.
Canada: Steph arrives at the exploration camp. They guy who plays Dyson on Lost Girl shows up and I find him just as skeevy here as I do on Lost Girl. His name is Denver, but I shall be calling him Dyson. Dyson tells Steph the guy she replaced died on the job.
Angola: A previously unseen diamond mine owned by Russians. Some shady looking guys show up and kill a bunch of people.
Congo: Senator Mom has arrived and is being escorted to a reception with the Congolese President. Rich, fancy people sure do have a lot of receptions.
After the reception an aide to the president (or a man claiming to be an aide) gives Senator Mom an envelope he says contains a clue about Sarah's death. It is a videotape with footage from right before Sarah was shot.
Johannesburg: Pointless scene with Daddy Denmont and his wife.
London: Diamond Model is being grilled by Denmont PR people about how to handle questions as to whether Denmont trades in blood diamonds.
Liberia: Boy Soldier makes it to the home of his contact in Liberia, a man who appears to be of Middle Eastern descent, named Mohammed. As he walks in, a boy around the same age is taking photos of him until he is told to stop by his older sister. Mohammed is happy with the diamonds and invites Soldier Boy to stay for a few days until someone can take him back to Sierra Leone.
Canada: Even though the team ask her to sit with them Steph sits by herself at dinner. It's not made clear if this is because she doesn't like and/or trust them, or if she just likes to be on her own. Dyson joins her, and it's at this point I find out that one of the guys on the team is actually named Dyson, so I shall start calling Lost Girl Dyson by his character name, Denver.
After dinner Denver goes to see Steph in her tent and she tells him she thinks they are digging in the wrong spot. She wants him to get everyone together early in the morning so she can show them where she thinks they should be digging.
Lou tells Steph she's wrong and they get into a little pissing match over it. He tells everyone about people dying on her last mission, and for some reason Steph doesn't point out that they were killed by rebel soldiers, which has nothing to do with her skills as a geologist. The team goes with Lou.
Steph calls her dad and says she wants off the mission. He won't let her, and he's being a bit of dick about it so she hangs up on him. She's sad. Awww.
Congo: Senator Mom is taken to a warehousy place by Tape Guy. The have the soldier who shot Sarah tied up, and they've been torturing him for information. Senator Mom isn't too happy about the torturing, but then they show her the rest of the tape, so she sees Sarah's being killed. The soldier confirms that she was killed because of diamonds.
London: Yet another diamond party.
Liberia: The Congolese President shows up at Mohammed's house. They are clearly involved in some shady dealings. Camera Boy takes photos and the President notices and accuses Mohammed of setting him up. In order to prove himself trustworthy Mohammed orders Camera Boy be killed. Boy Soldier shoots the gunman in the head, and after Camera Boy's sister gives Boy Soldier some diamonds she stole from Mohammed's safe, they run away.
End part 1.
2 comments:
Oh, I definitely have to borrow this!
I think rich and fancy people have lots of receptions because they need to eat, but none of them know how to cook...if they go to restaurants they may have to mix with the riff-raff.
Don't worry when I'm rich I won't be fancy. I'll still eat at KFC, while wearing jeans.
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