Invictus

Review by Anthony Morris

Clint Eastwood is a great director, but he's not exactly subtle: he points the camera, shoots what the actors say, then moves on without too much fuss.  

It's this rock‑steady touch that turns out to be Invictus' saving grace.

You see, it's possible to imagine plenty of other directors doing a better job of telling the story of how Nelson Mandela held South Africa together through the power of Rugby, it's hard to think of one who would do a better job of keeping it firmly down‑to‑earth. 

After his win in South Africa's first free elections, Mandela (Morgan Freeman) takes the reigns of a country on the edge of tearing itself apart. 

The whites are scared, the blacks want revenge, and the country needs to be stable if there's to be any chance of bringing in the international investment it needs after decades of sanctions. 

So when Mandela throws his support behind the Springboks - South Africa's national rugby team - he surprises pretty much everyone.Not only are the Springboks seen as a symbol of white oppression, but they're crap.

If South Africa wasn't hosting the World Cup they'd have no chance of even qualifying. But together with the team captain (an ultra‑Aryan‑looking Matt Damon), they decide that if South Africa is to survive, it has to be united - and what better way to unite a country than behind a winning sports team? 

As a director Clint Eastwood is only as good as the material he's working with and this has its fair share of clunky movie‑of‑the‑week moments. Where it works ‑ thanks in large part to a solid performance from Freeman - is in showing Mandela as the right man at the right time. 

This isn't Eastwood's finest hour (there's a song on the soundtrack about being "colourblind" that is one of the worst ever written), but tales of optimism and hope don't have to be subtle.

3.5 out of 5

Invictus
Australian release: 21st January, 2010
Official Site: Invictus
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon
Director: Clint Eastwood