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Part of me feels like I could easily copy/paste some of the things from the review of CHANGELING that I wrote last year, because, unfortunately, once again, Clint Eastwood gives us a drama that may be reasonably involving but all too often hits the viewer over the head with the message it's trying to get across.
There are some great early scenes in which Morgan Freeman delivers some very well-written lines with much posture and confidence, but this can't make up for the last half hour of INVICTUS. I don't think I've ever witnessed such an overload of the slow-motion sequences in which people cheer in victory. It's way overdone here. It would also help if one didn't need to have a basic understanding of the rules of rugby to understand what is happening. Those of us unfamiliar with the sport will have a particularly hard time finding a reason to care about what transpires on screen. Sure, I understand that the inspirational story of how an entire nation came together here is supposed to be timeless and to be appreciated by people all over the world, but it doesn't help when the message is delivered with so little subtlety.
Perhaps the biggest question one can have after watching INVICTUS is why Clint Eastwood didn't take the opportunity to give us an actual biopic of protagonist Nelson Mandela, starting with his years in prison. There was certainly a lot of potential here to make for an entirely effective piece of dramatic filmmaking, and the fact that THIS is the route that was taken by such a great director (and with an actor who clearly fit the role so well) is simply confusing. Oh, and I have no idea why Matt Damon is getting recognition for his role here (if anything, he should be getting recognized for his work in THE INFORMANT! earlier this year).
I hate giving a negative rating to a film that is so clearly well-intentioned. It's a shame because there's no doubt that ALL the tools and players were available to make a memorable movie here, but the truth is that even if INVICTUS scores big at the Oscars, it's definitely not a film that will be remembered by many.
5/10
