Invictus

Invictus_360P

source: Invictus

Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) wins the election but faces a divided country and questions about his governing abilities. His bodyguard Jason is dismayed at the white presidential security hired by Mandela. He notices that the whites are cheering South Africa's rugby team Springbok but the blacks are cheering for the opposition. He has to fight back efforts by black activists and recruits captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon). The team is losing but they make a historic run in the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship hosted by South Africa. Director Clint Eastwood makes a perfectly fine historical drama. Freeman has the sense of the wise compelling leader. The only drawback with Matt Damon is his size. I don't see the physicality of the captain of the national rugby team. It's a minor quip. The drama is limited. It doesn't take full advantage of an underdog sports drama. This is more of a political drama but not a very daring one. The actual events may not have enough drama.

Sure Freeman was good, but whatever. I was hoping that "Gran Torino" was an aberration for Eastwood, but this is actually worse. Even for those who find inspiration in films like "Rudy" or "Big League" this may be a stretch. OK, the Springboks surprising win was a unifying event for SA, but why make a big budget movie out of it? For a sports film, the rugby scenes are shot well and the stadium crowd is believable. However, somehow there is little reward in rooting for the underdog. Rugby remains foreign to North America and to set a political drama around it, is not engaging. Considering the Hollywood heavyweights involved, the story of South African racial tensions of the last 40 years could have been addressed more poignantly than through a whimsical sports drama.

Client Eastwood can touch the peoples heart with his movie , Invictus is the best example.. Invictus is a beautiful film , with excellent star cast .. It is well crafted & flawless.. Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela done justification to his part... No one can be imagined in madiba character except Morgan.. Matt Daemon acted well.. High levels of adrenaline will flow through your entire body for the entire film... Two eyes aren't enough to watch the scenes in stadium with 62,000 people.. Every frame is beautifully crafted... If you want a fantastic movie with excellent drama and sport then this movie is for you.... Highly recommended... My Rating 9/10

Not only did I love this movie, but so did my wife who knows little about rugby and hates sports movies. It's not really a sports movie but rather an example of political leadership. With Clint Eastwood directing it's historically accurate and makes its points quietly and without over dramatization. Someone unaware of the history of South Africa during the 1980s and 1990s might struggle to understand what's happening but the movie will quietly answer all your questions although it might make you wait awhile and it will make you think. Morgan Freeman commands the screen while underplaying, the kind of trick that brings award nominations. Matt Damon is brings immense tension to a quiet part. The star of the movie is the simple idea of reaching across to black/white divide to bond over what had been a sport mainly for South African whites. This movie is yet another reminder that Clint Eastwood has become the most dependable and most accomplished American director.

From a historical point of view it is interesting to see the transition of power from the white to black. But in the end it doesn't quite show how a mostly white rugby team winning a game helped to unify the country as a whole. The game just looks trivial compared to the problems of the country as a whole. Also the screenplay is simplistic in that Mandela's wisdom and saintliness is exaggerated here. He is unrealistically good here. Clint's direction is as usual a little indulgent. The game at the end is too long. Miscasting is the worst fault of this movie. Morgan Freeman's accent isn't that good - in fact it distracts from the movie. Maybe they could have found an African actor for the part. Matt Damon's accent is better but he is too small sized for a rugby player - it looks like they are trying to make him look bigger by using camera angles etc but it doesn't work.

Morgan Freeman is Nelson Mandela. The only question is whether he actually had to act the part or whether he really is like that. Sheer perfection! Matt Damon - good job, maybe better than good. Damon, plus 40-50 pounds still looks small for the role - thank goodness for camera angles that give him a bit more stature. South Africa - the politics - the geographical scene - all well rendered. The distrust between the races is palpable throughout the film - yet is always believable and not pandered to. Clint Eastwood, the director, may be the one least praised by the masses for his effort; yet his direction is subtle and easy and makes the film so much better - his should be the Oscar nomination...

Clint Eastwood did it again, He again makes a powerful movie and it looks like He did it without trying too much, but off course it looks easy when a mastermind is doing it. Anyone else would've made it just another sports cheesy movie, but not Eastwood. This movie is about the icon Nelson Mandela and certain point in His life when He became a president of a burning South Africa and how He managed to rose to the challenge, and to tame the burning hate, through a sport event, against all odds. We are honored to have a small look in the life of one of the greatest man humanity has met, the courage, the perseverance, the excellent sense of humor, the uplifting words, and the actual cell in which unfortunately He has spent big part of His life. In the end, I must say, masterful performance by Morgan Freeman.

"Invictus" is the Disney version of apartheid -- shallow, simplistic, and very disappointing. There is little suspense, and worse, next to no acknowledgment of South Africa's heroic efforts to face down its past. It's all rugby and Mandela all the time. The screenplay, with its "Attaboy" dialogue, reads like a 1940s baseball movie. Morgan Freeman's Mandela is stirring but Matt Damon's character is a cipher. And everyone else is just a face in the crowd, including the beautiful country of South Africa. This feel-good approach will no doubt play well in the multi-plexes, but Eastwood's fans deserve more nuance and more thought.