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Invictus

Invictus

2009

Matt Damon stars as Springbok captain Francois Pienaar and Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela in this Clint Eastwood directed true story of Mandela's attempt to unite his countrymen via the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Invictus follows Mandela's release from prison, his election as President of South Africa through to the World Cup. You may well recall how it ends.

Directed by Clint Eastwood ('Gran Torino', 'Changeling', 'Letter from Iwo Jima', 'Flags of Our Fathers', 'Million Dollar Baby', 'Mystic River', 'Unforgiven')

Written by Anthony Peckham (based on the book by John Carlin)

Sport, Drama, Biography | 2hr 13mins | Rated (PG) | Origin: USA

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Flicks review

  •  3

    Paul Scantlebury, Flicks.co.nz

    Flicks Writer

    Rather than show Nelson Mandela’s phenomenal but well-known ascent from prisoner to President of a reformed South Africa, Invictus his leadership style in action. He thought the 1995 Springbok World Cup campaign was a way to encourage unity between whites (staunch rugby followers) and the blacks (who viewed the Boks as a symbol of white ignorance). Mandela ignores his advisors, beats his own path and becomes obsessed with the game and success at the tournament. This is the film’s highlight as it offers a glimpse of what made him so great. Morgan Freeman is equal to the task. Despite our familiarity with Mandela, Freeman creates his own screen character with the gravitas to inspire.

    Invictus makes an interesting choice by fusing a biopic with a sports drama, but the sports half is less successful. While there is a highly entertaining novelty to seeing familiar things on screen (even Jim Bolger gets a look in), many of the rugby scenes will seem tame and bizarre to New Zealand’s well-trained rugby-eyes. The Haka is mispronounced and as fearsome as a jig, while the All Blacks themselves are a motley bunch, out of place on a rugby field where the action feels awkward.

    A bigger problem is Clint Eastwood’s heavy-handed sentimentality. He’s a straight-laced director who rarely misses the mark, but here a weepy soundtrack, hammy dialogue and blatant symbolic imagery (like a black hand and a white hand grasping the World Cup, in slow motion) undermine any of the film’s subtlety.

    Agree? Disagree?...

The people's reviews

17 reviews

  • Best movie ever

     5

    Bob

    Nobody (?)

    Some of you just dont know good movies.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Sort of tedious..

     3

    Nick

    Nobody (?)

    A pretty average film which conveniently leaves out the poisoning of the All Blacks. Quite interesting to learn about Nelson Mandella and the lead up to the World Cup, though.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • the real persepctive.....

     5

    Jam

    Nobody (?)

    The movie wasnt written for the kiwis it is a part of south african history which had drastic affects on the entire nation. Seeing as you probably have never been to africa or where there during the apartheid you have no idea, all you know is the NZ perspective. there are two sides to every story. It isnt't all about the all blacks its the bigger picture of racial discremination.I was at the world cup and although it didnt solve all South Africas problems it was a stepping stone in the right direction. there was no proof the all blacks where poisoned and stop living in the past they lost in 2007 all by themselves.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Excellant performances

     4

    sue

    Nobody (?)

    from Damon and Freeman and just another terrific Clint Eastwwod directed movie.Gave me a much greater understanding of Nelson Mandela as a man. Leo, not sure what the blah,blah,blah is all about, obviously this comment comes from someone who has not viewed the movie.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • learned a lot

     5

    SARA

    Nobody (?)

    Great story! it's not only Rugby, story about history of SA & Apartheid, how he has forgiven the people after 30years prison.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Great

     4

    brian

    Nobody (?)

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • One of the best films of the year

     4

    g2e

    Nobody (?)

    If you want to see a rugby game, go and see it on TV. This is not a film about the All Blacks, the French team or the Samoans playing. It is a very realistic and masterly crafted film showing how through the idea and determination of one man and a determined sports team a huge step could be taken within a very short timeframe towards closing the rift called apartheit in South Africa. Yes, there are some hickups (like the Haka, like some sentimentality, some errors in the rugby game), which are a bit of a shame. But they are minor. On the other hand the quality of the actors, the observing eye of Eastwood showing the changes in the social contacts between black and white, the pace of the action and development of the film: Excellent. A film worth seeing, even twice.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Worth a watch

     3

    FilmCritik

    Nobody (?)

    Freeman and Matt Damon Provide great acting in this movie, The Rugby looked a bit weak in the movie, but def a movie to see.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • great story

     4

    Donald Cameron

    Nobody (?)

    great movie except for the poor performance played by the All Blacks.Well done Clint Eastwood,Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.Great story.The Press needs to get a new movie reviewer

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • You don't need to like rugby to like this film.

     3

    Mike R

    Nobody (?)

    As a person who has very little time for rugby and the way it is the object of near supersticious veneration in this country (NZ), I wasn't expecting much from this film. But having Clint Eastwood as a director, and having seen and been intrigued by the trailer, I went along.
    I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the film - except for the cringe-worthy, embarrasing "Haka" (or should that be "hacker")I could hear the whole audience wince and groan over it!
    I felt Morgan Freeman's Mandela was a leetle too saintly, but then, who's to know how much of the script came from dewey-eyed Hollywood writers and how much was based on actual conversations of the time?

    And "Jonah Lomu" was a little bit shorter and rounder than I can recall at the time!!!

    All up, a great movie, well worth seeing.

    Agree? Disagree?...

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Press Reviews

  • Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

    Clint Eastwood, a master director, orchestrates all of these notes and has us loving Mandela, proud of Francois and cheering for the plucky Springboks. A great entertainment. Not, as I said, the Mandela biopic I would have expected.
    Read full review

  • Hollywood Reporter

    A temperate, evenhanded perhaps overly timid film about an intemperate time in South Africa.
    Read full review

  • New York Times

    It’s an exciting sports movie, an inspiring tale of prejudice overcome and, above all, a fascinating study of political leadership.
    Read full review

  • NZ Herald (Russell Baillie)

     3

    Freeman's Mandela is something but rugby is not the winner on the day.
    Read full review

  • Otago Daily Times (Mark Orton)

     3

    Invictus might not erase the debilitating effects of apartheid, but it does help heal the wounds of letting the '95 world cup slip - even if Suzie the waitress is conveniently absent.
    Read full review

  • Rolling Stone (USA)

    Eastwood's modest approach to these momentous events shames the usual Hollywood showboating. In a rare achievement, he's made a film that truly is good for the soul.
    Read full review

  • The Dominion Post (Graeme Tuckett)

    Morgan Freeman bought the rights to John Carlin's Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Changed a Nation, and asked Clint Eastwood, his great friend and collaborator, to usher a film adaptation into existence.
    Read full review

  • TV3 (Kate Rodger)

     3

    Kiwi audiences have plenty to chuckle about and grumble about. There’s no mention of the food-poisoning allegations, but there’s certainly a heavy dose of hero worship for our home team.
    Read full review

  • Variety (USA)

    Inspirational on the face of it, Clint Eastwood's film has a predictable trajectory, but every scene brims with surprising details that accumulate into a rich fabric of history, cultural impressions and emotion.
    Read full review

  • ViewAuckland.co.nz (Matt Turner)

     3

    Invictus is a solid retelling of an undeniably inspirational story but it's unforgivably bland in places and you can't help thinking that it might have worked a lot better as a documentary.
    Read full review

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