INVICTUS Movie Review
Invictus, one of our top 10 Christmas Movies of 2009, will be released to theaters on Friday December 11, 2009. The movie stars Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar and Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, and directed by Clint Eastwood. If you are planning to go see the movie, here are a few reviews from around the web to help you make up your mind.
Huffington Post
Clint Eastwood’s Invictus made me ruminate about the difference between great movie-making and great story-telling. I hope to go into that subject at greater length in my blog in the near future.
What struck me about Invictus was that Eastwood – nobody’s idea of a flashy or innovative filmmaker – really knows how to tell a story. Eastwood is among the most economical of filmmakers, with little wasted motion and no stylistic flourishes. He’s always all about the story, the action – about telling the tale and getting out of its way. Read More
The Film Stage
There is no question Clint Eastwood is a talented filmmaker; someone who knows his way around a camera and a story. No one would ever question as much. And perhaps that’s exactly the problem. Eastwood’s new film, Invictus, is one of the most heavy-handed, poorly-paced, lazily-shot films of the year, supported by a cardboard cutout screenplay courtesy of Anthony Peckham, who’s also got Sherlock Holmes coming out on Christmas. Eastwood is on autopilot here, and it shows. Read More
OregonLive.com
Whatever you think of “Invictus,” this much you must acknowledge: 79-year-old filmmakers aren’t supposed to be so eager, vital, inquisitive or intrepid as we currently have in Clint Eastwood, who brings this epic to screen barely a year after his one-two of “Changeling” and “Gran Torino.”
To respect and admire the film isn’t, however, necessarily to be completely won over by it. In the main, “Invictus” impresses as a showcase for an extraordinary directorial talent and a titanic actor equal to him at every step. But it suffers, too, from some wayward storytelling and hobbled acting and a major tactical blunder that alienates us just when we should be most absorbed. It’s not a great film, but parts of it are outstanding. Read More
Invictus Synopsis: A look at life for Nelson Mandela after the fall of apartheid in South Africa during his first term as president when campaigned to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup event as an opportunity to unite his countrymen.
Check out the trailer below.
