Review of Invictus (2009) by Steve N — 28 Apr 2011
It's hard to imagine how Nelson Mandela and the people of South Africa managed to build a country from the rubble left by decades of apartheid repression. Clint Eastwood's sports parable grossly oversimplifies the daunting challenges that faced that fledgling nation but still manages to offer some insight along with a satisfying dose of inspiration thanks to stellar performances from Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon (I admit it, I'm a fan).
Eastwood's usually lackluster directing is only evident in places, but his eye for detail endows the film with a remarkable feeling of authenticity, effectively transporting the viewer to that time and place.
The movie wears it's heart on it's sleeve, but maybe that's where it belongs given the subject matter. The partnership of necessity between Mandela and Peinaar is powerful, but it's the evolving relationships of Mandela's black and white bodyguards that provides a poignant metric for the story's progression.
The use of William Ernest Henley's poem "Invictus" resonated throughout and Freeman's sotto voce recitation of it during the Robben Island sequence was cathartic.
This review of Invictus (2009) was written by Steve N on 28 Apr 2011.
Invictus has generally received positive reviews.
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