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This is a frustratingly awful film. I had high hopes but instead got an unoriginal story, told through a bland kid, with phoned-in performances from all the major cast (Miranda Richardson aside, although she didn't have to push herself), with dialogue that was stilted and cringe-inducing. Plus we just seemed to be going around in circles throughout. This film didn't have an original bone in it's body. It should be stuck on the Hallmark channel where I can ignore it. What a shame.

The cinematography never inspired. With a canvas like Swasiland I expected a lot more of the cinematographer. An occasional vista shot even. But we got very few. Except for the dreadful pan back for a last shot that contained 2 characters who no body could give a damn about.

This film has a strong cast, but Gabriel Byrne is going through some sort of acting crisis, and this performance won't help. Emily Watson is unrecognisable from her excellent turns in films like Punch Drunk Love. The rest of the cast struggle with brutal dialogue and simplistic colonial stereotypes; which gives rise to some of the most toe-curling dialogue.

Richard E. Grant deserves a lot of respect for films he's been in and performances he's given, but he needs to step away from this needless shlocky sentimentalism and "Oh-look-how-brave-I-was" claptrap.