Invictus

A movie based on rugby and Nelson Mandela? How could this miss? Only if it were to be released in a country where Rugby is considered irrelevant and history is frequently ignored outside of classrooms. But while the plot might not peak American’s interests the academy award winning leads made a legitimate attempt. Morgan Freeman’s performance as former South African president Nelson Mandela was, as far as I could tell, spot on. There were moments where his accent faltered and the façade was a bit weak but it didn’t have much of an affect on the movie so we’ll give him a pass. Matt Damon bulked up to play rugby legend Francois Pienaar and he was completely believable. I tip my hat to whoever got these two stars to sign on. However, it was a little tough connecting with the characters due to lack of personal plotlines. I understand that isn’t the focus of the film but Mandela’s daughter storyline and Pienaar’s racist father storyline are just dusted over and never resolved.

I was a little skeptical going into the movie because movies directed by Clint Eastwood usually mean sadness, or death to some extent. But hopefully I don’t ruin anything when I say that this surpasses Space Cowboys as the happiest movie “the man with no name” has ever directed. I almost expected Nelson Mandela to pull out a 44 magnum at the end and shoot someone. Well not really but you never know with Clint.

In regard to the film itself the tone was very realistic. After seeing other sports epics like Miracle or The Replacements I found myself waiting for the epic speech that inspired generations. That wasn’t the case with Invictus. The script seemed completely real with some motivational talks but I can honestly believe that the ’95 South African team received the same words. The story was amazing enough on its own and didn’t need fluff added in. …And The Replacements is a good movie. I could feel you rolling your eyes.

With good pacing and a nice balance between rugby and politics Invictus deserves some accolades from critics and moviegoers. Still not interested? Then go check out how jacked Matt Damon is in it. Sold. (8.5 out of 10)