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Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (24) | DVD (1)
A queasy mix of high-toned intentions and commercial compromises.
Silver cut his teeth in documentaries and it shows in the skilled on-the-ground style of the camerawork. But visuals are only half the story and the plot doesn't keep up.
"The Bang Bang Club" divulges little insight into what keeps this dangerous brotherhood banging away around the world.
This is one of those relatively rare movies that gets better and smarter as it goes along...
Seldom does "The Bang Bang Club" show much interest in the big picture of South Africa.
The story has heat, even if the movie is more entranced with its subjects than in what they're trying to achieve.
full review at Movies for the Masses
This film is painstakingly detailed in its recreation of iconic events and images. It's also beautifully played by a superb cast, although the story is undermined by unnecessary sideplots.
Impressively directed, strikingly shot and superbly acted drama that tells an intriguing true story and asks some thought-provoking questions about the nature of journalism.
Silver offers no easy way out of his moral maze, just an unflinching look at conflict and its impact both on the perpetrators and those who watch.
The production is too glossy for the deadly serious and viscerally real subject matter in this photojournalist thriller.
It's definitely something worth seeking out, and a must-see if you have any interest in the ethics of modern reporting.
I have read that the book was better than the film...that being said, I haven't read this book. So, I am not biased. This biodrama film was rivoting. You couldn't help but get involved with each character, and the risks that they took to document the tragic violence in South Africa. The cinematography was spot on, the acting was really good, and the script was well-written. I enjoyed this....
Super Reviewer
It was definitely an interesting watch, with some really good cinematography however it just felt a bit sterile. I wasn't keen on many of the characters but I guess that's what happens to people when they live in a war zone. Kitsch did a great job as Carter and by the end, it was so emotional and it really made me think about what goes on in this world. A good watch but nothing I'll see again.
Based on actual events, this is the story of four photographers who, during the last years of Apartheid, put themselves in harm's way to capture the events of the tumultuous struggles going on across South Africa. Overall, this is a decent film, but it doesn't quite live up to its potential to be great. The film is rather unbalanced in that it focuses far more on two of the guys instead of giving all four of them equal amounts of development, and also that it seems to run of out steam part way through, which is a shame because it starts off pretty decently. It doesn't totally fall apart by the end, but it definitely feels like thigns are running on fumes. Also, even though I don't always mind adding in material for dramatic purposes, it wasn't necessary here as there's already pelnty of drama in the real story. A better job of establishing the context and background for the events would have been nice as well, but I had some idea of that sort of stuff, though I had no knowledge of these four men prior to seeing this film. Still though, the film is shot decently, and there's some godo performances here, especially from Ryan Phillippe and Taylor Kitsch. All in all, a well meaning film about an important subject that is passabel enough, yet not quite worthy of getting a full on recommendation.
The Bang Bang Club starts off with a bang. The story is very good, but somehow halfway through the middle, the film looses its spark that got this firecracker of a film started in the first place. The film is nonetheless good, with plenty of good performances from its cast. However by the time the credits role, you feel that considering such an engaging and thrilling story, you'd expect something astounding by the films conclusion. I thought the film exposed some important issues, but there was always something missing. This is still a well made film with a good, real story and plenty of good performances. The film does lack certain things to truly make it a memorable film. There are plenty memorable scenes, but as a whole the film has the potential of being something truly great, but it somehow manages to struggle with its own material. Considering its subject, The Bang Bang Club could have been an incredible film, but somewhere near the films conclusion, the story becomes overly dramatic and it kind of cheapens the look of the film a bit. Despite this, The Bang Bang Club is still an interesting film to watch and one that's very good, despite the fact that halfway through the middle it struggles in being a better film. Than it is. If the filmmakers would've kept the film as it was, and not include any unnecessary dramatic bits to make this film more appealing to a broader audience. The films biggest flaw is that by the films end, is that by the end, the film relies on overacted drama that almost mocks the true story. Still a good film to watch, but nothing that great.
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