MOVIE REVIEW: INVICTUS
Invictus
Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenplay: Tony Peckham
Source Material: John Carlin (from book: “Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation”)
TRT: 134 Minutes (PG-13) for brief strong language.
Cast
Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela
Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar/ Francois Pienaar
Marguerite Wheatley as Nerine
Tony Kgoroge as Jason Tshabalala
Patrick Mofokeng as Linga Moonsamy
Matt Stern as Hendrick Booyens
Peacock Feathers (2 1/2 out of 5)
By Marcus Thorpe
Add it up: Clint Eastwood+Morgan Freeman+Matt Damon+Oscar Hype Machine should = huge powerful hit right? Well the individual performances are strong, but at the end of the film there is something missing, and that is something I’ve never said walking away from an Eastwood production.
Invictus takes on the story of one of the most powerful, amazing figures in history. Nelson Mandella, held captive, finally gets a chance to be free, he’s lost so much, yet falls in love, not with a woman but with a country, and a sport. Freeman is the only person that could play this part. He captures exactly what you think of with Mandella. Strong, devoted, passionate, and compassionate, Freeman hits all the right notes. He teaches that forgiveness liberates the soul, words from a man who didn’t have to forgive anyone for the years he spent in a cell no wider than 2 of his country’s rugby stars standing side-by-side. Damon plays the captain of the Springboks, the struggling national team of South Africa. He is soft-spoken, a player that would rather live by example than with fire and brimstone.
The story’s focus starts and ends with Mandella and his country. A county divided in so many ways, from their choice of sport, choice of political backing, and choice of a future. As Mandella leads his country in a new direction, he needs something to bring it all together. He assembles a new team, first in his own cabinet. He has guards from his own handlers, but decides to buck the trend of only his men, and adds some from the old regime. This is just the first of his South African shakeup plan. Next he needs to find something that people can believe in. He chooses Rugby. With all the tough decisions a President must make, Mandella turns John Madden when it comes to the game. He decides following the green and gold is more important than traveling the world discussing foreign policy. His passion is contagious, his vision wins a nation over, his words and motivation make chumps into champions.
With all of star power, what is missing? I never saw the Clint Eastwood stamp on this project. This movie plods around at times, digging deep into the chunks of mud the Rugby players chew up on the field. The sporting scenes limp along, the final game seems like it will never end, from the bone-crushing hits, the close-up’s of Matt Damon grunting and grimacing make you check your watch to see if this game is over. You pretty much know where the game is going, you know how pleased Mandella is with his team. Maybe its the game, would American audiences feel different if the story was set in New York and it was the Giants playing a more familiar brand of football? I think there is some disconnect in the rules and sport of Rugby for American audiences.
Invictus looks the part, it certainly has the pedigree in actors, it has an amazing subject in Nelson Mandella, but when the credits role I was wishing the biopic would have focused more on Mandella, and less on rugby.
MT
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Posted by
on 12/15 at 07:46 PM
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