This holiday season offers a variety of films to see: your classic Christmas special where two dads fight over how many lights they can decorate with, a romantic comedy set for the season, a tear-jerking drama featuring a well-known father and son duo, hell' you can even see Rocky fight the bad guy for a sixth time! There are a ton of wonderful movies you can see to be entertained, but one movie stands out not for its entertainment value, but for its rude awakening of issues that go on outside of 'the bubble.'

'Blood Diamond' is set in 1999 in Sierra Leone, Africa, where a civil war has broken out over control of the land because it possesses diamonds. Those who have diamonds have control. And the people in control go to extreme measures to keep the power. A fair warning before seeing the film, it is extremely violent, but not for the thrill of the action or sensationalism, but rather to show the intensity and severity of life in Africa. Within the first five minutes, an entire village is ransacked and terrorized by the rebel group RUF (Revolutionary United Front). Children, women and entire families are slaughtered for no apparent reason.

One man from the village that is invaded is Solomon Vandy, played by Djimon Hounsou, who is taken by the RUF to work for them finding diamonds. While at work Vandy finds a rare, large diamond which he then risks his life by hiding because this gem, called a pink diamond, can give him the leverage to bring him back to his family from whom he was separated with.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of Danny Archer, a diamond smuggler from Zimbabwe. Archer hears word of the diamond and is anxious to find it so he can make enough money to finally get himself get out of Africa.

The movie follows Archer and Vandy on their journey to find the diamond. Along the way they run into journalist Maddy Bowen, played by Jennifer Connelly, who is working on a story that will uncover the diamond conflict and expose the companies who have chosen profit over principles.

This isn't the feel good movie that most people like to see during the holidays. But it does help to open the eyes of audience members to the world that exists outside of SUVs, celebrities and plastic surgery, and reveals a world where millions of people fear for their lives and are left homeless because of other's greed for power and money.

Besides DiCaprio, Connelly and Hounsou, 24 orphaned children from the SOS Children's Village in Maputo, Mozambique, where civil war has plagued the country for 16 years leaving many of the children orphans, starred as extras in the movie.

DiCaprio has been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Satellite award as best actor for his role in 'Blood Diamond,' and Hounsou won best supporting actor from the National Board of Review.

Throughout the movie, the audience learns alongside with Archer that there is more to life than money, guns and diamonds. 'Blood Diamond' is rated R for strong violence and language and runs 143 minutes.