If you can handle slow moving, slightly over-dramatic movies, you'll probably love this one. The story of William Wilberforce and his struggle to abolish the British slave trade is the stuff of grand epics. This film, helmed by Michael Apted (Gorky Park) catches the monumental essence of the story. The whole film feels important and serious. This is the film's biggest drawback. It is so weighed down by its own gravity that it sometimes squelches the humanity at the heart of the story. In the role of Wilberforce Ioan Gruffudd seems all too aware he's playing someone larger than life. His performance at times made me feel like a statue of Wilberforce had come alive and was acting out parts instead of a flesh and blood actor. Gruffudd gives a traditionally grand British performance that one expects from period pieces such as this. His performance is too heavy at times however and it feels like he's playing the icon and not the man.

Contrasting Gruffudd's theatricality, The movie finds its humanness in a pair of very strong supporting performances. First is Albert Finney (Tom Jones) as Wilberforce's minster, and author of the song, John Newton. Finney is simply mesmerizing as the weathered mentor at the end of his life. Newton tosses out wisdom to Wilberforce like other old men offer complaints about their joints. He is so well portrayed that when his scenes ended, I always wanted more and that's the greatest compliment one can give to an actor - to want them to continue to perform. Finney was passed over for an Oscar for best supporting actor, his performance was clearly up to that caliber and it should shame the Academy that he was ignored.

The other notable performance was by Romola Garai (As You Like It ) as Barbara Spooner, Wilberforce's supportive fiancé. She makes something out of the "woman behind the man" role and turns out an impressive performance that at times upstages her lead.

Overall, the pace of the film drags a bit and the third act dips into melodramatic overtures. This is not a film for people with short attention spans or the low in taste. If this is the kind of movie that sparks your interested then you will probably find that it delivers.