Movie Review: “Invictus”

Seen on: December 1, 2009

The players: Director: Clint Eastwood, Writer: Anthony Peckham, Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng, Matt Stern

Facts of interest: Based on John Carlin's book.

The plot: The film tells the true story of how Nelson Mandela tried to unite his country with the help of South Africa's rugby team.

Our quick thoughts: Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” keeps things simple in telling the true story of how Nelson Mandela tried to reunite his country through rugby, but the film is nonetheless a fascinating big-screen experience and without doubt one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. Intriguing, emotional and beautifully shot and acted, this is an instant winner.

I always enjoy it when a movie pulls me right into the middle of the action and manages to grab my full attention from start to finish. “Invictus” does just that, and much more. It’s a film that made me smile and even occasionally made me tear up a little. It also filled me with emotion, and I’m not even an expert in South African history.

That’s what makes this movie so great. You don’t have to like politics or rugby to enjoy “Invictus.” You don’t have to be a fan or supporter of Mandela to have a good time watching this intriguing piece of filmmaking. This is yet another brilliant Clint Eastwood picture, and I can only urge you to head out and see it. It’s beautiful.

Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela, who after becoming president of South Africa, turns to rugby to reunite his country and attack its big racial divides. His plan: encourage Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the captain of South Africa’s weak rugby team, to make it all the way to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

For Francois, the road to victory is a tough one, primarily because his team lacks motivation and has a terrible reputation. That said, Mandela’s energetic support and wise, encouraging words inspire him to do great things, which is exactly what he heads out to accomplish.

Damon completely shines in his role, even though it occasionally seems he’s struggling a bit with his accent. Nevertheless, he brings a lot of energy and passion to Francois Pienaar, who teaches his team what it means to embrace humanity, change for the better, and start to forgive instead of seek revenge.

Mandela shares the same opinion. He wants to unite his people instead of pushing them further apart, and rugby seems just the right way to do accomplish this goal. His staff members don’t really like his eccentric plans, but Mandela doesn’t care. He strongly believes in his team, and he’s convinced they can do the impossible.

“Invictus” moves along smoothly without many surprises, but that’s not a bad thing. Eastwood carefully handles this material in the best way possible, and he creates a whole series of simple scenes boasting incredible depth. Many, many scenes in this film are equipped with stunning emotional resonance I found very easy to fully enjoy.

The technical aspects of “Invictus” deliver the goods as well, but the real hero here is Morgan Freeman. He’s utterly brilliant in the role of Mandela, and in my book, he sure deserves an Oscar nomination for his efforts. To tell you the truth, he alone brings an incredible amount of energy and emotion to the entire film.

Freaky quote: "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." - Morgan Freeman

The final word: “Invictus” worked for me on every level. It’s a strong, compelling drama stuffed with interesting characters, great visuals and a lot of heart. The plot remains simple throughout, but the beauty Eastwood has created on-screen will certainly pull in many of his loyal fans. It’s the kind of film I can watch over and over again.

Article by Franck Tabouring