Entertainment Ireland

Invictus

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Painted with deceptively light, broad strokes by Oscar magnet Clint Eastwood, Invictus may be a true story but it's not a captivating one. Nelson Mandela is obviously a fascinating man who has lived an incredible life so far, but Eastwood instead chooses to concentrate on his first few months in office as the 1995 Rugby World Cup was about to begin. He makes a similar mistake as Michael Mann did with the Ali biopic; but while Mann still crafted a beautiful looking film with vigour and intensity, this offering feels inexplicably slight and lacking in focus. You will really want to like this admittedly noble production because of its positive message and inspirational real-life characters, but the story and indifferent execution may leave you shrugging.

Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela, a role he has been linked with since biopics of the great man were initially mooted by many a suit in Hollywood. Mandella really should've stood alongside Red in Shawshank Redemption as his signature role, and while he's perfectly fine as the South African leader, the material only ever allows him a hint of depth. The tempestuous relationship between Mandella with his wife is more-or-less ignored, while the lead-up to the elections he won could've been a more appropriate opening, as opposed to his first day in the job.

You can see what Eastwood was trying to do; Mandela wanted to also use rugby to heal the still gashing wound of apartheid. Black South African's hated rugby, because they associate it with the rich, privileged white folk who took their homes and arrested them for no reason, while the mainly white rugby players and fans are instantly threatened by their new president. So, despite not tackling the most interesting aspects of Mandella's life, there was still room for drama there - it just never really materialises. Matt Damon's rugby captain is pretty much on board from the start, while only a couple of voices in the dressing room vocalise their mild disdain; evidently that's what happens when you make a film based on a true story where all the main folk involved are still alive.

Some of the supporting characters are completely pointless, while the clunky dialogue and continual shots of the cheering crowd grate after a while. Damon is never really stretched but handles the accent and rugby scenes admirably, while Freeman is solid but rarely exceptional. It only really picks up towards the feel-good final third, and by that point most will know the outcome. Disappointing.

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