Henry Saw: Invictus

There's stuff to like but Eastwood kind of fumbles the ball here (do they call it a fumble in rugby?)


This film is incredibly generic. Which isn't to say it's bad...it's not...in fact I think it might actually be kind of good. The problem is that there are so many heavy handed moments, major missteps with the music, and an incredibly boring final third which combine to make the film feel like a dud.

IMDB's plot description: The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.

Morgan Freeman plays Mandela and Matt Damon plays the captain of the Rugby team Francois Pienaar. One problem with the film is they are the only two actors worth mentioning; every other role, be it one of the President's bodyguards or the other rugby players, is just there because they have to be. Freeman and Damon are the only two characters given any kind of depth or a personality that has more than one note.



Freeman is well cast but doesn't actually impress. The role doesn't allow him to do much more than be Morgan Freeman being Nelson Mandela. You of course admire the part and the actor but not really because of anything he does in the film. I did like the moments where Mandela would be in an important meeting but all he could focus on was how the Springboks (the Rugby team) is doing. Damon is much stronger as Francois. His South African accident is great, he sells all the sports scenes, and he has a nice little moment where he visits the prison where Mandela was held for decades.

Damon is very strong in that scene, but Eastwood almost ruins it by having Francois imagine seeing Mandela in chains in the most ham-handed way possible. It's just one moment that is indicative of a lot of mistakes Eastwood makes. The music is...horrific. Just terrible. The score and the songs used are so over-the-top, and just bad, that it kept distracting me. There are multiple moments that are supposed to give you chills, which any good sports movie needs to have, but only one really clicks.

Eastwood also never explains the rules of rugby or explains how the game is played (other than letting us know there is no forward passing). While you can say it is my fault for not knowing...I don't think its realistic to think Americans know the mechanics of Rugby. Eastwood devotes the last 35 minutes of the film to recreating the final World Cup match and its just very boring. He starts by trying to inject some tension in the scene and implying there will be attempt on Mandela's life...nothing like that every happens. Then during the game there are lots of CGI crowd shots, lots of repetitive action, no big plays...kudos to Clint for staying accurate to the game but it made for a dull sequence.



Still, I did like the movie, and I am always happy to see Freeman and Damon work. It's too bad Eastwood messed up the rest of the film because this could have been a really nice blending of a political and sports film. Instead, it's really a bit of a mess, but the strong story and the two leads salvage it for me.

Grade: B

Best Scene: The crowd singing the national anthem and Damon using it to inspire his team.