Better Late Then Never

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Even though he's coming on in age, Clint Eastwood can still dazzle his audience, even when he's behind the camera. For a grizzled veteran, he still manages to come up with good quality pictures, even if not all of them are entirely great. The last really good cinematic masterpiece he truly made before "Invictus" was "Million Dollar Baby". He does have a tendency of over-casting non-performers in his movies like he did in "Gran Torino", even though his intentions were good. But nobody can deny that Eastwood is master in his craft and the productions of his film are taken through heart even if they're not always electrifying. "Invictus" is a very well-made movie based on a true story with touchy subjects and issues that will have you pondering for hours to come. In 1994 three years after South African political activist Nelson Mandela gets released from prison after spending three decades there, he is now the new president of South Africa and his quest to bring unity between the races with the country. When an all Caucasian rugby team who's been struggling for a championship, Mandela decides to step up and fix the team to becoming the best they can be and to erase the divinity within the races in the country. Morgan Freeman was the perfect casting choice as Mandela. He decides that the South African team the Springboks have potential to be championship material and there he meets up with the captain of the rugby team Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon)and felt his first quest was to inject unification among the Springboks as a symbolical way so that the country can have a team to be proud of and the pivotal step to expunge apartheid forever. So we see kind of a two-plot story behind the movie, Invictus". One we have Mandela adjusting his new role as the leader of his country as he's faced with plenty of turmoil that includes outrage, uproarious fear and racism. One pivotal scene was when his all-black security staff was being questioned by the Secret Service guys and later accepted. The other plot is Pienaar's initiative to encourage his rugby team to a winning season while taking part in the activities emanating in the country and trying to come to terms of a nation that's under a political unrest at the time. In one memorable scene Pienaar and his team visit the jail that where Mandela was incarcerated and enter his cell. It was a very subtle moment where the drama in this movie is the most important. The two plots climatically join together as Mandela is seated to see this emotional and very important World Cup of the 1995 Rugby Championships. This final game will not just keep the sports fans enthralled, but the setup is structured beautifully. Eastwood went out of his way to create a country that at the time was struggling with politics and race issues and makes you feel for the people involved in the movie and the World Cup final match is an added bonus to the intriguing scenes depicted in the movie. Though it's a great movie, there are still flaws as well. Unless you know the rules of rugby which a lot of people may not be familiar with (nothing personal) you might be lost in the rules and the way the game is operated. But it wasn't a huge drawback for me, I just wanted to see some good sports. Also there's this rather weird scene in the movie that's supposedly happened in real life, but Eastwood directs it like he's manipulating us into making it feel like a political thriller when it really isn't. But those burps won't spoil my liking for this movie. Even though it's not a perfect film, "Invictus" is still provocative and entertaining and raises a lot of questions and if a movie can generate food for thought, it ranks high in my grading system. It truly has something for those who are enthused by political dramas plus it has something to offer for those who love sports enthusiasts.

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.

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.

None other than this movie could have portrayed those events in a better way. It is indeed a wonderful movie. But, it is a lot more than a movie for me. It inspired me to learn more about South Africa and specially about Nelson Mandela. Planning to read the book on which this movie is based on.As Nelson Mandela himself had said once that only Freeman could portray him. Freeman proved him right. Brilliant performance by him.Though the actual events might not have been so dramatic but still I wish I could be part of that final match. It was filmed in a way that for last 3o minutes, I felt I was part of that crowd of 62 thousand.This is the first time I am writing a review on IMDb and it is the movie which made me do so. Only one word can describe this movie in the best way, Perfect!