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10/01/2024

Invictus (2009) - Morgan Freeman is Nelson Mandela

♥♥

 

On the turned backside of co-star Morgan Freeman, a smiling face of sport's victory from co-star Matt Damon, makes up this poster for Clint Eastwood's Invictus

Nelson Mandela is freed from 27 long year's as a political prisoner in his home country South Africa, and as its president soon after he starts the long, hard work of reuniting his torn people. For this end he takes an interest in the country's poor rugby team...

 

Invictus is written by Anthony Peckham (The Assassin (1988)), adapting the non-fiction book Playing the Enemy (2008) by John Carlin (Chase Your Shadow (2014)), and co-produced and directed by Californian master filmmaker Clint Eastwood (Play Misty for Me (1971)), whose 30th feature it is.

Morgan Freeman (The Ritual Killer (2023)) is amazing and seems a lot like the real Mandela, whose exceptional dedication to forgiveness, his country and its future is the film's main driver. The man's fascinating mission is deeply moving.

Matt Damon (The Last Duel (2021)) is a bit timid as the rugby captain, and there are moments in Invictus in which one is almost swept up in the sport. Eastwood of course wants to do justice to the whole important history here, but he may be somewhat on away ground. The backstory of the country and of Mandela's imprisonment are not told convincingly, which might have been done in a matter of minutes, (a filmmaker cannot trust that modern global audiences are privy to these facts), and Invictus nearly drowns in pathos and 'spiritual' feeling music, which is quite overly obvious and directive. The still gripping film might have gotten further with some more restraint and focus on the problems and history of South Africa. The meaning of the title (latin for 'undefeated') remains unclear. In the final match it is mentioned that the country winds up in the final, - but they then immediately are seen receiving the trophy!?!

Invictus shows the uniting strength of sports in exemplary fashion.

 

Related posts:

Clint EastwoodThe Mule (2018) - Drug-runner true story proves another fine fit for screen legend Eastwood 

Sully (2016) - Eastwood's miracle landing biopic is inert and overrated  2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
American Sniper (2014) - Eastwood conveys an American man and myth in electric masterpiece  
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess   
J. Edgar (2011) - Eastwood, Black and DiCaprio's great, intense biopic   

Hereafter (2010) - A movie so bad it might kill you (director/composer)

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Gran Torino (2008) - Eastwood's actor persona comes full circle in absolute smash (co-producer/director/starring actor)
The Changeling (2008) or, The Christine Collins Story
 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]    
2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Letters from Iwo Jima/硫黄島からの手紙 [Öjima Kara no Tegami] (2006) - The Japanese side of Eastwood's remarkable WWII two-parter   

Flags of Our Fathers (2006) - Eastwood's Iwo Jima portrayal is captivating and profoundly moving 

Blood Work (2002) - Eastwood churns out uninspired thriller adaptation (producer/director/starring actor)


1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Absolute Power (1997) - Eastwood stumbles with low-caliber thriller (director/co-producer/co-starring) 

In the Line of Fire (1993) - Clint and co-stars on fire in one of the decade's finest thrillers (starring)

The Dead Pool (1988) - The highly entertaining last Dirty Harry movie (starring actor) 

Heartbreak Ridge (1986) - Lots of deficiencies in Eastwood's weak Marine movie (producer/director/starring actor)
City Heat (1984) - Eastwood and Reynolds wrestle dispassionately in Benjamin's messy period affair (co-starring actor)
Tightrope (1984) - An undervalued Clint Eastwood sex killer thriller (starring actor)
Any Which Way You Can (1980) or, More Monkey Business! (starring actor)

Escape from Alcatraz (1979) - Siegel, Tuggle and Eastwood's phenomenal prison escape thriller (starring actor)
Every Which Way but Loose (1978) or, Honky Tonk Monkey Business! (starring actor)

The Gauntlet (1977) - Locke/Eastwood cast sparks in corny shoot-em-up (director/starring actor)
The Enforcer (1976) - Eastwood teaches revolutionaries a lesson in third, less punchy Dirty Harry (starring actor)
The Eiger Sanction (1975) - Eastwood's mountain climbing dud (director/star)

High Plains Drifter (1973) - Eastwood cleans up red town in great western (director/star)
The Beguiled (1971) - Intense, erotic Civil War kammerspiel thriller (starring actor)
 
Dirty Harry (1971) - Eastwood's great, signature renegade cop character comes to life (starring actor)
Coogan's Bluff (1968) or, Dopes and Hippies, Beat It! (starring actor)
 

Hang 'Em High (1968) - Post and Eastwood make spaghetti in the West (starring actor)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Leone ends his poncho trilogy with certified classic (starring actor)
For a Few Dollars More/Per Qualche Dollaro in Più (1965) or, Return of the Poncho Killer (co-starring actor)
A Fistful of Dollars (1964) or, Killer in a Poncho (starring actor)

 



 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 50-60 mil. $ (different accounts)

Box office: 122.4 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.22 times its cost)

[Invictus premiered 3 December (California) and runs 135 minutes. Eastwood was paid 6 mil. $ for his work on the film. Shooting took place from March - May 2009 in South Africa, including in Johannesburg. The film opened #3, behind holdover hits The Princess and the Frog and The Blind Side, to an 8.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 37.4 mil. $ (30.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 26.6 mil. $ (21.7 %) and Spain with 10.3 mil. $ (8.4 %). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Actor (Freeman), lost to Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, and Supporting Actor (Damon), lost to Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds. The film was also nominated for a César award, a David di Donatello award, 3 Golden Globes and won 4 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Eastwood returned with Hereafter (2010). Freeman returned in 30 for 30 (2010, TV-series) and theatrically in RED 2 (2010); Damon in Cubed (2009, TV-series) and theatrically in Green Zone (2010). Invictus is certified fresh at 76 % with a 6.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]


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