Invictus

"Invictus"
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon
Grade: B

Clint Eastwood's latest knows exactly what it wants to be, and for the most part, does what it set out to do. At the age of 82, Eastwood has proven he can still be an effective filmmaker. Few can rival his diligence behind the camera, and his passion for storytelling. Eastwood who worked with Morgan Freeman previously on "Million Dollar Baby," directs Freeman on the easy road to an Oscar nomination. Freeman plays South African President Nelson Mandela circa early 90's.

Freeman is the kind of actor that can surpass the difficulties to playing such an important world figure. Freeman humanizes Mandela, instead of mimicking him to the point of no return. Freeman transports his being into this character, and it serves the film correctly. AS the film opens, Mandela has been released from prison, and is looked down upon by whites in South Africa. The film chronicles Mandela's strategy to put an end to apartheid in the country.

While half of the film is about Mandela, the other half is devoted to his relationship and strategic partner, the captain of the South African rugby team, Francois Pienaar, played by Matt Damon. Damon is perfectly cast, he doesn't have as many rousing speeches as Mandela, but Damon's Pienaar conveys emotions through his body language and his dedication to his team and to Mandela. This is a nice role for Damon, that supports the fact that he's one of the best actor of his generation.

Eastwood's pacing works well, the first half of the film deals with the inner workings and lead up to Mandela's meeting with Pienaar. We see the inside world that Mandela evokes, his offices, his workers, his closest assistants. The film spends many scenes following Mandela's black and white body guards, who come to respect each other. While Eastwood is certainly following the trajectory of the script and his past efforts behind the camera, one can't help but admire the passion and spirit put into this project.

There is a certain tone about the film that is always admiring, and respectful to it's audience. We do get more than a few inspiring monologues from Mandela, but the script does just enough to support the performances. The apartheid commentary is always present, but that's what the film is about, there is no easy way around political parallels to today's political climate.

Back to the pacing, the 2nd and most effective hour is devoted to Pienaar and his teams World Cup efforts. The team isn't very good, and aren't favored to do very well. Most of the players don't respect Mandela, but it's Pienaar who gives them hope when all seems lost. There are some good scenes involving the team visiting the prison Mandela was in for nearly 30 years. Damon works best in this scenes, with little dialogue, Damon's Pienaar understands what needs done.

While "Invictus," is certainly no masterpiece, it results in a great attempt by it's orchestrators and actors to re-create a time and place most have no knowledge of. It's a dedicated sports film, a light history lesson, and a showcase for the great Morgan Freeman