INVICTUS

It amounted to little more than an impersonal blur of sports and politics.

Every once in awhile we all fail to connect with a perfectly good movie, and that's exactly what happened to me with Invictus. I could see that it was intelligent, inspiring, well-made, and expertly-acted, but I simply couldn't get into it. It amounted to little more than an impersonal blur of sports and politics.

After his release from prison, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) assumes the presidency of South Africa and takes on the daunting task of unifying a nation divided by apartheid. It should be a triumphant and celebratory moment in modern history, but the reality is fraught with difficulty. How can a man who has been the victim of such an egregious personal injustice bring together a nation of people divided by race, politics, and economic inequality? Rugby may be the unlikely answer.

Brilliantly, Mandela turns to the captain of the national rugby team (Matt Damon), and asks that they rally forces to take home the World Cup. Though they face impossible odds, the team pushes themselves toward a victory that turns a bittersweet moment in history into a truly sweet one. I can’t argue that there’s anything wrong with Invictus, but it’s one instance where Clint Eastwood’s naturalistic approach to film-making failed to draw me in.

DVD/Blu-Ray Notes

For a limited time the DVD + Blu-Ray set comes with a free digital copy of the film. Exclusive to Blu-Ray are the following extras: "Mandela Meets Morgan" (a featurette about the making-of, including Morgan Freeman meeting Nelson Mandela and getting his approval),  "The Eastwood Factor" (a tease of the longer doc about Clint's career), plus some other cast and crew ditties, including Matt Damon's rugby lessons.