Catch a Fire (PG-13, 2006)

Set during the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa in the 1980s, CATCH A FIRE tells the story of Patrick Chamusso (Derek Luke), a black foreman at a white-owned oil refinery near Johannesburg. He has a good job, a beautiful wife named Precious (Bonnie Henna), and two small girls. South Africa is ruled by fear and government-enforced apartheid (rigid segregation), and the only way to instigate change, according to some activists, is with guerrilla warfare and terrorism. That's just what happens at the refinery. When an explosion rips through the facility, Chamusso is arrested, tortured, and held in a shabby, makeshift jail by men supervised by Col. Nic Vos (Tim Robbins). Vos is an officer in the Police Security Branch charged with identifying and arresting members of the African National Congress (ANC), whose goal is to rid South Africa of apartheid. Chamusso is innocent, but his alibi doesn't hold up. He refuses to confess, but when Precious is arrested, he accepts responsibility for the bombing. Chamusso and Precious are released, and he joins the ANC and sneaks across the border into Mozambique to train and eventually help stop the brutal government.

Though the subject matter of Catch a Fire is heavy, this movie does a wonderful job of explaining a complicated situation, told through the eyes of a real-life hero who helped change history. Luke gives a heart-wrenching, Oscar-worthy performance; when he says, "I will make this right," you believe him. You can feel his passion, as well as that of the other members of the ANC who feel they have no other choice but to fight.

The other actors -- including Robbins, Henna, and Michele Burgers as Vos' wife – also deliver emotional performances, showing the many grey areas that exist between "right" and "wrong." The movie is vibrant with the sights, sounds, and people of Africa. The freedom songs that the natives sing to console themselves are beautiful, as is the Bob Marley reggae music that was popular at that time (and for which the film is named).

Studio: Focus Features
Director: Phillip Noyce
Cast: Bonnie Henna, Derek Luke, Tim Robbins
Genre: Drama
Run time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release: October 26, 2006
DVD release: January 30, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: thematic material involving torture and abuse, violence and brief language.