Movie Review - 'Invictus'

Invictus Starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon Directed by Clint Eastwood Rated PG-13

If you were to boil down Clint Eastwood's movies over his recent resurgence - at 79, he is arguably better than ever - they might all be summed up with the two-word phrase, "it's complicated." Narratively, not so much; Eastwood rarely plays with perspective and chronology, certainly not to the point of gimmickry. But thematically and emotionally, his past few films have not been easy. Witness the unfolding of the third acts in Mystic River or Million Dollar Baby, the racism in Gran Torino, and the constrasting images of a less prosaic Flags of Our Fathers and the unbelievably graceful Letters from Iwo Jima. Invictus has "it's complicated" written all over it, but Eastwood takes an easier road. It's gentle and dignified, characteristics you might expect of a film about Nelson Mandela, but it seems never in doubt, never as difficult to swallow as the subject matter really is. Because of that, where and when it is meant to inspire, it comes across as matter-of-fact. In 1990, Mandela (Morgan Freeman) is released from prison after a 26-year sentence, and four years later, he assumed the office of President as leader of the African National Congress, the party which won South Africa's first multi-racial elections. But because of the divide within the nation, the result of nearly 50 years of institutionalized racism, the election did not heal old wounds all on its own. How could it? To try to building a bridge over that chasm in South Africa, Mandela enlists help from an unlikely source. Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the captain of the country's national rugby team, to bring the country together as one through the 1995 World Cup. Win the Cup, Mandela reasons, and South Africa, while still divided along racial lines, can share a unified victory that could lead to greater peace and understand for years to come. Mandela calculates this move; it's a political issue for him. Before he consults Pienaar, he doesn't know much about rugby or his country's own team. We'll blame a quarter century in prison for part of that. So the president has to ingratiate himself to the members of the team - a cross-section of the populace he's trying to convert - before South Africa will buy any of it. That is easier said than done, and so is convincing the majority of black South Africans that the rugby team, replete with one black player, is in any way playing for them. What's missing in Invictus is a complete grasp of the ugliness of Apartheid. It's better seen metaphorically in District 9 than it is here. Think about this: If you're over 20 years old, you lived in a world where a nation of 20 million people wouldn't let 80% of its citizens even be considered "citizens" based on the color of their skin. But it wasn't just keeping blacks and whites separate; Apartheid (which I capitalize for the same reason the Holocaust is capitalized) split the entire country based on race, and it heavily favored the white minority. Perhaps Eastwood believes everyone in his audience knows all that, but it's not really an assumption that benefits Invictus. To show the country coming together, even if it's briefly and not completely, you have to show what's keeping them so far apart. It's really the only failing of the film, but it's a pretty big one, and a curious one, given Eastwood's comfort with discomfort. Morgan Freeman is about the only actor you would pick to portray Mandela at this stage. He conveys the sort of concentrated intelligence and discipline that mark Mandela's public countenance, and the staccato vocal delivery is accurate enough. But it wasn't a terribly moving portrayal, a little too cold to fully rally behind. Damon's fine. The accent never slips, but it doesn't have much of a chance to. His Pienaar needs to be written better or more fully, because this story belongs to him to a certain degree. But it isn't until the end of the film, the World Cup action, that Pienaar really captures our attention. It's also where Eastwood's direction really takes over, showing as much poetry as Letters from Iwo Jima. Every frame in the climactic moments of Invictus is a small reminder of why we should never list Eastwood as an actor-director. It's the other way around. The trouble is the first 90 minutes coasts along a little too much toward an end we're fairly certain is inevitable, anyway.

Comments

[Brucie]

OH MY GAWD Colin Boo Boo, THIS IS AN AMAZING MOVIE.... Men sweating all together and little Matt Damon right there among them ? HEAVEN !!! Only thing missing was a long shower scene with all the glistening bodies of those hot young boys.... 5 Hot Rollars for this critic.... MUAH Colin boo boo...

[mdamien13]

Caught this the other night and I agree with your three damn dirty apes. I thought the entire story was rushed and honestly I would have rather seen the focus on the rugby team and how they came to accept what they were representing. I connected more to Mandela and his bodyguards than I did to anyone on the team (damon's character included).

I also thought that Eastwood's direction in the third act was heavy-handed. The whole trip to the island was almost giggle-inducing with its superimposing of the prisoners, who faded out as the wind blew. Damon's reaction to seeing the cell was good enough to sell that scene without the use of these images.

Also, as a former rugby player I understood what was happening in the matches but the people I sat with did not and said that was a big detraction for them. I'm curious to see how this will affect standard audiences watching a rugby match for the first time.

[SEAN]

Awesome review, definitely one of the best of the year of 2009, Colin...
--greatly articulated paragraphs about Freeman & Damon

I completely agree the audience, us, should have seen the ugliness of Apartheid in South Africa...

I wanted more from the film & expected more, I cant articulate it right now but I just wanted more, I dunno I still need time to digest it after having just seen it literally a few minutes ago.....

[MR]

Good brief and this website helped me a lot in my college assignment.
My english is not good but your site is well thought out and great for learning English better

Small Corner Computer Desk
Portable Air Conditioning Unit
double oven electric range
Cheap Life Assurance Quote
Dolce and Gabbana Sunglasses
Disney Minnie Mouse
microwave rice cooker
jazz music download
asbestos attorney cancer lawyer mesothelioma settlement
Business week MBA
Products Review and Price
Hair Loss Solutions
Health and Fitness
Female Hair Transplant
The Truth About Six Pack Abs Review
Cheap Dental Health Insurance
Email Database
Hot News and Events
Fish Finder
Make Up Brushes

[Ashutosh Ranjan]

Wow, that's a good and daring movie. I like this movie. Every time i wanted to watch this movie. Picturasation is too good and characters are very effective. They are the masters of their sector. It is too interesting while you watch the movie among air conditioners and snacks with soft drink. Thanks for sharing.

[rolex replica]

to do this. However, going through the Rolex watch replica wrist watches on the internet is only a matter of couple of mouse clicks in seconds. replica watches sonal cannage design adornments. The form from the tote is straightforward however traditional, sq . or even rectangle-shaped organised along with r uk replica watches re looking for. Frequently known since the “Presidential” watch, these types of watches had been liked by a number of presidents of the us previous replica watches uk t possible in .louis vuitton bag within the Chinese marketplace lately, product sales surged much more shops opened in main metropolitan areas inside a an add rolex replica will purchase as much as you prefer instead of conserve for a long time to possess a single item. Replica footwear associated with large creative designers uk replica watches are the celebs perform and appear as if you walked from the style journal. Exactly what issues would be to store in the correct locations as well as get sma replica louis vuitton bureau along with hardly any cash losing sight of your wallet. If you value style and therefore are wanting you can store for your heart content material rolex replicas to produce and distribute.Some fake Diesel’s are very close reproductions in looks, but not in physical attributes and good quality. The truth is, swiss replica watches vuitton why may cause this kind of a powerful response? There’s style media commentators think that, louis vuitton fake and didn’t treatment what individuals rolex replica urate. Even if this could just be short-term, however to some extent do not all of us reside in the actual digital globe, far through actuality. Ho swiss rolex tinues to provide only the greatest fashions, plus they carry on to need the greatest cost.Whenever a brand name turns into well-known in its personal c uk replica watches ches repaired. They might even arrive for issues like changing the bracelet or even the bezel of the watch. The cause is simply because watches these da rolex replica genuine that original brands of watches appear quite stylish and inspiring, but majority of people can??￥t afford these original brands due to replica watches like the initial, ought to a minimum of end up being 80% close to this.– The costs variety, that ought to nor, is simply too higher or otherwise louis vuitton replica hich is most prone to harm and scratches. It’s pretty typical to unintentionally brush this watch glass in opposition to a strong object. thus creating thes replica louis vuitton ompliance using the greatest production requirements, how the custom totes often overcome regular purses. swiss replica watches