riley-16856 I had high hopes for this movie, I really did. Morgan Freeman always delivers his lines beautifully, but even he couldn't save this train wreck. The pacing was incredibly slow, with far too much padding. While supposed to be inspiring, it only succeeded in being a stereotypical underdog story with no real backbone and meat to it other than a flimsy plot of restoring the unity of South Africa through rugby. I was ultimately very disappointed with this movie, and although the performances of the actors were on point, the writing and direction left much to be desired.

jc-osms Appropriately, this dramatisation of South Africa's famous Rugby World Cup victory in 1995 in their own country, just a few years after Nelson Mandela's release from prison and the nation's re-admission to international sport, was shown while the present competition is occurring (Come on Scotland!). Actually I'm no rugby buff and so without a full working knowledge of the events of the time, bar the conclusion of course, let myself be swept along in a green and gold wave of sporting triumph and nation-building under the aegis of Mandela's benevolent presidency.The three narrative viewpoints centre on Mandela himself naturally and his transformation of the hard-line body politic in South Africa, the national rugby team captain Francois Pienaar and his evolution from relatively ignorant white Afrikaner to an inspiring one-nation sports idol, inspired by the humanity of Mandela and as a counterpoint microcosm of the new South Africa, the fractious, grudging melding of the established white security detail with Mandela's new black team which naturally goes from mutual dislike and mistrust to eventual respect and cooperation if not outright affection. In truth there wasn't too much drama to get excited about, as there usually isn't in sporting dramas and I have to say that while I enjoyed the triumph of the underdog and the respected the magnanimity of Mandela's conciliatory vision for his nation, director Eastwood didn't exactly rouse me out of my seat in so doing. I also never quite believed that I was watching Nelson Mandela, as Morgan Freeman, game as he is, just always looked like Morgan Freeman in the film. Damon benefits from being based on a less widely-known character although I understand that physically he resembles Pienaar just about as little as Freeman does Mandela. As ever he engages totally with his role, especially physically so that you believe in his part.The crowd scenes, especially recreating the stadium-full atmosphere of the Final and the later euphoric street celebrations of black and white alike are well done, even if you don't quite get the full blood and guts effect of fully engaged sport in the matches itself. Eastwood also, as ever, takes plenty of time out for reflective silence and rumination with some obvious exposition inserts too, no doubt with the American viewer in mind (say, how does this extra-time work again?).Still, it had to be said he does a relatively good job with an assignment which must have been somewhat alien to him and pays proper respect to one of the more notable sporting and national triumphs of recent times.

Leofwine_draca Sports films usually leave me cold; I never watch sport in real life so watching it in film holds no appeal for me. However, this story of rugby in South Africa in the early 1990s holds plenty of appeal, thanks to expert direction from Clint Eastwood and an excellent performance from Morgan Freeman who embodies the spirit and persona of Nelson Mandela. It's the political backdrop that makes the sport interesting, and INVICTUS is a great film to watch as a result.The cinematography is particularly proficient here; I had the pleasure of watching this in high definition and it's a beautiful film to look at. Eastwood is on top form. The material is a little weaker, failing to explore the complexities of the situation and sinking into schmaltz at various points; Eastwood can't avoid evoking some sentimentality in scenes of stirring music playing and whites and blacks working together. It's not as bad as in something like VOLCANO, but it's there, and it's a bit condescending. Still, Matt Damon's on board and delivers another solid turn, and even the hardest of hearts will find much to enjoy here.

SnoopyStyle Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) wins the election but faces a divided country and questions about his governing abilities. His bodyguard Jason is dismayed at the white presidential security hired by Mandela. He notices that the whites are cheering South Africa's rugby team Springbok but the blacks are cheering for the opposition. He has to fight back efforts by black activists and recruits captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon). The team is losing but they make a historic run in the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship hosted by South Africa.Director Clint Eastwood makes a perfectly fine historical drama. Freeman has the sense of the wise compelling leader. The only drawback with Matt Damon is his size. I don't see the physicality of the captain of the national rugby team. It's a minor quip. The drama is limited. It doesn't take full advantage of an underdog sports drama. This is more of a political drama but not a very daring one. The actual events may not have enough drama.