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Thursday
22Oct2009

First Poster for Eastwood's 'Invictus' 

DateThursday, October 22, 2009 at 6:29PM
There's a little bit too much Photoshop on the face of Mr. Damon, but the new poster for Clint Eastwood's Invictus is here, and it's got the look of an inspirational sports movie.


Poster courtesy of Yahoo!

Of course, that's in no uncertain terms what it is: The story of the 1995 South African rugby team, employed by newly released dissident Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) to bridge the chasm between the white Afrikaaner minority and the black majority, held under thumb for nearly a half a century as a result of Apartheid.

Freeman has been touted for an Oscar nomination, and Damon has been quietly pushed for two (here and in The Informant!. Eastwood, riding high on the success of Gran Torino, has as much pull with discerning moviegoers as any other director in America these days, so unless the film is too maudlin (a possibility given the sentimental nature of the journey), it should enjoy a healthy run this winter.

Invictus, I'm guessing, relates only to the Latin translation - unconquered. I think I like the original title, The Human Factor, more if you don't have anything to sell. In this case, it's Eastwood, Damon, and Freeman; they could call it Wet Shoes and people would pay to see it. So Invictus might seem like a curious title at first, but I have a hunch it fits the spirit of the film.

AuthorColin Boyd | | in , , , , , | Print ArticlePrint Article | | Comment1 Comment |

Reader Comments (1)

If Matt Damon's South African accent is any good, and Morgan Freeman doesn't schmaltz up the gravitas too much, "INVICTUS" is well-positioned for Oscar glory. Clint knows how to make good films and the Academy loves him. It could very sweetly set up a year where the world's attention turns to South Africa in summer 2010 and the World Cup.

As far as the "INVICTUS"/"THE HUMAN FACTOR" title debate goes, it's hard to say without seeing the films. But I can imagine kids in playgrounds all over eventually picking up on that word.... Invictus.... Unconquered. Hasn't it popped up in a Harry Potter movie somewhere?

On my Oscar radar right now, in no particular order:

- "The Lovely Bones", a book I read and liked, being made by Peter Jackson. Not the first director I would have thought of but .... hmmmn, fascinating.

- "Nine", Rob Marshall's new musical. I'm one of the few people who didn't like "Chicago" all that much but the cast is definitely hot. Does this film have electricity? As an homage to Fellini, let's hope.

- "Avatar", James Cameron's extravaganza. I'm also one of the few people who didn't think "Titanic" wasn't all that great but I saw the trailer and it has possibilities to make a stir.... -ish.

- "The Hurt Locker" which I've actually seen. This movie deserves a bunch of nominations. I'd like to see Anthony Mackie get a nod.

"The Hangover". Maybe not best film but deserving of a bunch of nominations. America's humor in a tough year.

Now that ten films get nominated instead of five, at a stretch I could also see....

"Star Trek".... Again maybe not best film but one of this year's good films.

"Bright Star", whose star is maybe not shining too bright but marks the welcome return of Jane Campion nonetheless.

And no doubt there's quite a few I'm missing on this list but for now "Invictus" is definitely on the radar.... If Matt Damon's South African accent is any good.

Friday, October 23, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJon

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