Invictus
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng
Details: US/134mins (PG)
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.
Review by Mike Sheridan : Agree/Disagree? Write a review... and win Cinema tickets!
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Your Reviews
I loved it! - Sarah
I love rugby, I love true stories and I love Morgan Freeman, so I went to see this movie with extremely high expectations. and I have to say I wasnt disappointed. I thought it was a wonderfully... MORE
Review Published 26 February 2010
A Nice Film - jennith
Morgan Freeman finally plays the role of Nelson Mandela a role he was born to play the problem here in this film is it does not really stretch him too much. The scene is set in South Africa Nelson... MORE
Review Published 18 February 2010
better than I thought it would be - nicola-t
I wasn't expecting much from this film at all. All I had heard about it was that the rugby wasn't particularly convincing. I found myself pleasantly surprised. It's an interesting story and while it... MORE
Review Published 14 February 2010
Movie of the week - siobhanl
As I'm not really into sports, I was going to see Matt Damon. The story was the straightforward unity through sports to improve the human condition. Morgan Freeman was an excellent Mandela and showed... MORE
Review Published 11 February 2010
COMPELLING VIEW - eamonndunphy
An excellent performance by Freeman in his portrayal of Mandela is a highlight in this excellent story. You will be drawn in by the story, and the perhaps over simplifying of the effect of the... MORE
Review Published 09 February 2010
Award Winning Performance - Paul McGann
This film is excellent wit an award winning performance from both Morgan Freeman & Matt Damon, Clint Eastwood has missed out on Best Director at the Oscars, but watch this space for big things... MORE
Review Published 09 February 2010
Worth seeing - aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!
I thought this was a wonderfully simplistic story highlighting the difficulty South Africa faced post-apartheid with Mandela at the helm.But rather then making it an epic story about him, it shows... MORE
Review Published 08 February 2010
brilliant! - groengoen
It is seldom a movie comes along which isn't just about fast action, violence and sex, but sets out to show how inspirational people and events can be in real life. This is such a movie. Could a... MORE
Review Published 07 February 2010
Tedious - andrewire
Films about inspiring personalities usually feel either too cheesy or self-aggrandising and Invictus is no exception. On the contrary, movies about not-so-inspiring subjects are frequently... MORE
Review Published 06 February 2010
Invictus - Pat Kenny
Great movie, portrays the situation in SA at the time and who else could play Mandela but Morgan Freeman
Review Published 06 February 2010
Feel Good Movie - heidi
Actually very informative and shows how sport can bring a nation together. I was so interested in how Mandella was portrayed now I know what is so appealing about him besides the fact that he changed... MORE
Review Published 04 February 2010
Another Clint classic. - simonconnolly
A lot of people were rather upset by the news that Clint Eastwood was to quite acting and concentrate solely on developing his directing career in the future. I on the other hand was quite excited as... MORE
Review Published 24 January 2010
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