Invictus

Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela, a President trying to bring together a divided nation with the help of their rugby team, the Springboks.  Matt Damon plays Francois Pienaar, the Springbok’s captain.

I have mostly mixed feelings on Invictus.  On one hand, I appreciate how Eastwood doesn’t use any technical flourishes or stylizations.  He lets the story and the performances do all the talking.  On the other hand, I think this makes the film fall flat.  Eastwood seems to just be on autopilot at this point, following the textbook and not taking any risks.  For this reason Invictus never really seems to maximize its potential and instead just ends up being another solid biopic. 

RATING:  7/10

I also have to once again comment on a terrible, overly sentimental song, this one titled “Colorblind,” that’s every bit as hokey as it sounds.  The cue for this song comes out of nowhere, so it’s also a total distraction.  These things are trying to ruin otherwise good movies left and right, it seems.