'Invictus'--John's Take

          Movies are for entertainment. That is their sole purpose, but what makes a great movie? I say something that transcends entertainment and leaves us questioning ourselves and the world around us, something that helps us learn, helps us become better people. I know this sounds like a lot coming from a movie but is it really, are we not swayed by what we see and hear? By this measure ‘Invictus’ is a great movie, the story of Nelson Mandela as played by Morgan Freeman and his use of the South African national rugby team to begin the unification of his country’s people. The film begins with Mandela’s release from prison and fast forwards to his election as the South African president. His people are torn apart because of the color of their skin and he needs to find away to change that, he needs his countrymen to see each other as people not colors. To accomplish this task Mandela looks in the most unlikely of places, he chooses the Springbox, South Africa’s Rugby team, as the symbol under which his people will unite. To accomplish this task he must not only sway the black population, who until this point were strictly soccer fans, to love a sport that represents all that kept them oppressed, but he must also make the Springbox into a great team. For the second part of that challenge he looks to the teams captain Francois Piennar, played by Matt Damon, to inspire and motivate his team to win the world cup and give South Africa something proud to stand under which they can stand united.

       First off I would like to personally put in my nomination for Morgan Freeman as best actor. He is not an actor playing Nelson Mandela, he BECOMES Nelson Mandela and to say his performance is captivating is quite the understatement. The story itself is moving, and inspirational, I don’t believe there’s a person in this country who could leave this movie not wanting to better themselves or at least be a bit nicer to their neighbor. Seeing on screen the ability that Mandela has to forgive, and to inspire that same forgiveness and compassion in those around him is truly heartwarming. This is not even to mention the amazing speeches given, I do not think these things would have been nearly powerful if given by another actor. Not since Joe Clark in ‘Lean on Me’ has Morgan Freeman spoke with such conviction. The movie itself moves very quickly for its nearly 2 ½ hours and never leaves you with too much of anything; it’s just the right amount. Just when you think you may start to tire of the politics and maneuvering the film switches gears and drops you into the world cup at which point this becomes a full on sports movie. I was a little leery as I’ve never actually watched rugby, but I can tell you it’s just as exciting on screen as football and is shot wonderfully. You can really feel the hits and if you don’t become a fan of rugby, you’ll at least want to know more about the sport.  I could only really find two negative things about the film, and to be honest they’re kind of a stretch. First was Matt Damon, now he himself was great the acting was top notch and he even managed to nail the South African accent (Take that Leo in Blood Diamond!), however he never managed to inspire me and he turns the team around with really no effort. I would’ve appreciated more out of him than was given. Secondly was the teams only black player, and the one whom the black community rallied around, Chester. I really would’ve liked to see a bit more of him since he ended up being the rally point for which both black and white could cheer.  Like I said, it’s a stretch, but I can’t give you all positive stuff now, can I?

         In short I would not be surprised to see ‘Invictus’ on many Oscar ballots this year, most for Morgan Freeman, but also for best picture, and possibly even a director nod for Clint Eastwood (the movie is gorgeous). To say I recommend that you see this film in theaters is to say Michael Jordan was a pretty good basketball player. I really feel like everyone should have to see this movie, if for no other reason than to learn more about a man as great as Nelson Mandela, and possibly to change a little of themselves in the process.