Invictus (2009)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

Anthony Peckham (screenplay)
John Carlin (book)

Release Date:

11 December 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

His people needed a leader. He gave them a champion.

Plot:

Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Plot Keywords:

Rugby | President | South Africa | Nelson Mandela | Rugby Team

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations

US Showtimes:

The Bridge: Cinema de lux

1:10pm | 4:10 | 7:10 | 10:10

(personalize)

Cast

Morgan Freeman	...	Nelson Mandela
Matt Damon	...	Francois Pienaar
Tony Kgoroge	...	Jason Tshabalala
Patrick Mofokeng	...	Linga Moonsamy
Matt Stern	...	Hendrick Booyens
Julian Lewis Jones	...	Etienne Feyder
Adjoa Andoh	...	Brenda Mazibuko
Marguerite Wheatley	...	Nerine
Leleti Khumalo	...	Mary
Patrick Lyster	...	Mr. Pienaar
Penny Downie	...	Mrs. Pinnear
Sibongile Nojila	...	Eunice
Bonnie Henna	...	Zindzi
Shakes Myeko	...	Minister of Sport
Louis Minnaar	...	Springbok Coach

Also Known As:

The Human Factor (USA) (working title)
Непокоренный (Russia) [ru]
Invictus - Unbezwungen (Germany) [de]
Invictus - voittamaton (Finland) [fi]
Neporazený (Czech Republic) [cs]
Nepremagljiv (Slovenia) [sl]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

USA:134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45710)

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

During the making of this film, Clint Eastwood became a fan of rugby. While in South Africa, he would watch hours of rugby every night and come in the next morning and talk about the games. Eventually, he began to enjoy the games.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Johan de Villiers the TV commentator who first bad-mouths the Boks and then praises the Springboks, after the final whistle, asks the question of Pienaar: "What did it feel like to have 62,000 fans supporting you in the stadium?" and receives the answer: "We didn't have 62,000 fans behind us, we had 43 million South Africans." It was in fact a SABC reporter called David van der Sandt.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Nelson Mandela: How long before the World Cup?
Jim Fleming: Don't get your hopes up. We're a damn disgrace!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Jay Leno Show: (#1.57)" (2009)

One of Clint's Best...

In surely one of his lightest and straight-forward works of his career, Clint Eastwood has achieved one of the most inspirational films of the year with his new film, Invictus.

Starring Academy Award Winners Morgan Freeman as South African President Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Rugby Captain Francois Pienaar, Invictus is a picture full of emotion, magnetism, and revelation. What critics and audiences may be deceived by is belief that this is THE Nelson Mandela biopic which it is not. It is the story of Nelson Mandela's first years as President of the culturally separated country South Africa in 90's. In a way to unify his people, Mandela used the country's love for Rugby to connect the whites and the blacks. As their record has been less than impressive, no one expects anything notable from the Springboks. Mandela taps the captain of the team to rally his troops and surge into battle for the greater good of his country.

Everything about Invictus works on so many degrees of the medium based on the book "Playing the Enemy." The film never comes off as too pretentious or egotistical; it requires nothing more from the viewer than an open mind and heart. Eastwood directs the film perfectly, laying back when he needs to, never pushing the subject matter or shoving it down our throats. He utilizes all the skills we've come to love about his earlier works in Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, and Letters from Iwo Jima. The use of light shows a character' s vulnerability inhabiting their souls or a score by Kyle Eastwood that offers both zeal and subtlety during a rugby match.

Cinematographer Tom Stern hits another one out of the park, catching all the fury and apprehension of all the different elements of this strenuous time. Joel Cox and Gary Roach edit the film with the perfect amount of precision and friction.

Morgan Freeman as Mandela is a wonderful charmer, showing the man's most hostile yet tranquil behaviors. Not necessarily the most engulfed characterization seen on film this year as Freeman's accent comes in and out of remission, but it's a tremendous performance worthy of an Oscar nomination.

Matt Damon, showing himself as one of the best working actors today, doesn't have enough of the character depth and arc to carry the picture. Damon's performance doesn't allow him to really go anywhere. It's a superb turn, with a great accent inhabitance, that warrants credit where the credit is due. However, Damon requires nothing more than a little motivational speaking and responsive humility.

Invictus, is one of the best pictures of the year, standing in the ranks of one of the best sports films of the decade. This is the type of film that Oscar will likely be all over and fall in love with. I concur.

****/****