Machine Gun Preacher

This movie explores the life of preacher-activist Sam Childers (played by Gerard Butler) and how he turned his life around from an outlaw biker and became a rescuer of children in war torn Sudan. First off, I'm very glad that a film like this can shed much needed light on the plight of children and the very real genocide that has been going on in these regions of Africa.  In fact, it's a shame that often times, it's only films like this and Hotel Rwanda that bring a certain consciousness to the problems that have existed there.  Butler's performance and that of the supporting cast was very good.  It is quite amazing to see Butler portray Childers and how his adopted cause to save young lives was his redemption. The most memorable and moving performance was how a young boy forced to murder his mother, connected with Childers and his attempt to dispel his growing anger and disillusion at the cost losing his family and his cause. The only issue I have was toward the beginning of the film, leading up to his crusade into Sudan.  This was very much not developed at all.  How Childers went from a life of crime and self-loathing to born again Christian and saver of children thousands of miles away, was choppy at best.  Admittedly, his life story is unique and unorthodox to say the least, but cinematically this omission into his character's transitional arc does nothing to invest in the theme of the story.  That fact early on and coupled with the movie's title (as appropriately accurate as it was) would probably leave the average moviegoer scratching their head a bit more than usual in their anticipation of what they were in for.  But, overall, Machine Gun Preacher, is a must watch with an exceptional performance by Butler about something that should matter to all of us.