U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Live in Paris (2015)

U2 and HBO rightfully cancelled its scheduled Paris concert on the same day as the attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015.  It was rescheduled for December 9 and HBO aired it live.  At the end of the concert, U2 brought out the Eagles of Death Metal, whose performance at the Bataclan Concert Hall was cut short that night. They performed one song together, and then Bono graciously let them close out the show.  The entire event was a proper tribute to the victims of the attacks and a testament to the city's resilience and determination to continue on. And boy does U2 know how to put on a show.  They packed a large stadium full of fans.  There was a large rectangular screen that spanned the length of a football pitch that contained mesmerizing projections and closeups of the musicians.  They performed some of the songs from their latest album, the one that was given to all iTunes users for free, much to their chagrin.  The songs are not a great representation of their full potential, but by no means are the songs bad.  They still have the classic U2 sound. But luckily, they also performed a good deal of their old material.  After all, a U2 performance just wouldn't be right if the fans didn't get to sing "One."

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)

Idris Elba plays one of the most important figures of the twentieth century.  He is given lots of monologues to showcase his acting chops, including the very famous "It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die" speech.  Elba is very good, but, in my opinion, not as good as Morgan Freeman in Invictus.

U2 redeems itself with an Oscar-nominated original song, after the disaster that was Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.  Ordinary Love has the authentic U2 sound that we know and love.  Had it not been for the infectious Let It Go, U2 likely would have won.

Mandela lived a very full and eventful life.  The fight against apartheid was very long.  Consequently, the movie tries to squeeze in too much, moving very quickly without going into much depth or explanation.    In that respect, the film does not strike an appropriate balance.  The movie already runs nearly two and a half hours and it still moves too fast.