Invictus
HIS:
In recent years, Clint Eastwood has proven to be a master director in many genres. We knew of his skill with the Western but his ability to tell a dramatic story has been almost second to none, in a signature minimal style of which he’s become renowned. Now we can add the sports movie genre to the list. Invictus is both a political drama and an uplifting sport movie in equal measure. Nelson Mandelas choice of the Springbok rugby team to carry the new rainbow nations hopes and aspirations during the 1995 World Cup is told in inspirational style.
Eastwood gets right in the thick of the rugby sequences,putting the camera in the scrum with the players so every pass,kick and punch is felt. The stadiums such as Ellis Park and Loftus-Sarsfeld are likewise rendered perfectly, full of a sea of South African supporters. Any CGI enhancement is thankfully unnoticeable.
While the screenplay is a little heavy-handed at times,and laden with having to explain the finer points of both rugby and apartheid to an unknowing, international audience it still manages to convey a sense of history. If you don’t get chills down your neck during the game against the All Blacks you need some kind of emotion-test!
As ever, Eastwood brings the best out of his actors and both Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon deliver wonderful performances of real-life people from the very near past(1995). While everyone is raving about Freemans rendition of Mandela(a role he was physically born to play due to startling similarities between the two),it was Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar that grabbed my attention. Freemans accent wavered often between Cape Town and Louisiana but Damon nailed it completely. With the aid of prosthetics and hair-dye he also looked the part(thanks in no small part to bulking up considerably too) and every scene I thought he acted with a remarkable restraint. One of the best supporting performances of the year.
The most important thing of all though was that Invictus personified the incredible humanity and compassion of Nelson Mandelas new president,and gladly it did. A standout sequence involving a visit to Robben Island shows not only the hardship but the dignity with which Mandela endured. With the help of a wonderful soundtrack of both new and traditional songs and a usual minimalist jazz score by Kyle Eastwood, the film shows a time of great hope and a glimpse of how old hatreds can be overcome. Let us hope South Africa can continue to grow in Mandelas spirit for many generations.
B+
HER:
The main theme of this film is how the power of sport can unite people. And it can…we’ve seen it in many films before how people come together in support of a team and that union can stop violence, hatred, racism, and so much more. Invictus is the true story of that bond between people. Set in the early 90′s when Nelson Mandela was freed from his 30 year imprisonment, and then elected President of South Africa, his ability to free his mind from the shackles and the hatred for the people that put him in prison. He rose above that need for revenge and instead opened his heart for his country by unifying the division through the Rugby World Cup in 1995.
Morgan Freeman as President Mandela, was excellent. His motions, mannerisms and just the way he looked captured Nelson Mandela and his friendly demeanor while also carrying the weight of the country on his shoulders. Matt Damon stole the film for me. With his excellent portrayal as Francois Pienaar, the captain of the 1995 Rugby team, a man in real life that saw the opportunity as well of using the game to unite the country. Damon looked as if he was right off a Rugby field, which is no small feat since those men are rough around the edges and quite big.
A film that catches the heart and theme of sport – and with the Soccer World Cup in South Africa this year, it will be interesting to see if this country can once again rise above the inner turmoil.
B
