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Good concept, poorly executed.

Excellent, smart action film.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

InvictusIf nothing works for you in this more than 2 hours of glorious experience, it surely will be inhuman for you to not be moved by the last act which shows the excellence in execution and more importantly majestic performances. Clint Eastwood once again proves his amazing and outstanding directorial skills which is highlighted more glorifying by if not gripping yet beautiful and smart adaptation by Anthony Peckham. Morgan Freeman; as Sir Nelson Mandela quotes, only he can portray it and is supported thoroughly by Matt Damon who too is in his A game. Invictus works more on inspirational nature and beauty of its script (the first encounter between Morgan and Matt is not easy to forget) rather than offering more gripping and exhilarating experience although if taken the last act into account, it surely is a game changer.

I had high hopes for this movie, I really did. Morgan Freeman always delivers his lines beautifully, but even he couldn't save this train wreck. The pacing was incredibly slow, with far too much padding. While supposed to be inspiring, it only succeeded in being a stereotypical underdog story with no real backbone and meat to it other than a flimsy plot of restoring the unity of South Africa through rugby. I was ultimately very disappointed with this movie, and although the performances of the actors were on point, the writing and direction left much to be desired.

Whenever I see the name "Clint Eastwood" associated with a new moving coming to theaters, I automatically think of such incredible films as Million Dollar Baby, Changeling, and Gran Torino. Perhaps I am just spoiled by Eastwood's spotless track record, but that is the reality of the situation. With that in mind, Invictus does not live up to the billing...but it still is a very honorable effort.Basically, the film takes place primarily in the country of South Africa, where Nelson Mandela (played superbly by Morgan Freeman) has come to power and is striving to bridge the gap between blacks and whites after decades of apartheid rule. Mandela seizes upon the country's terrible rugby team, stocked primarily by high-brow, burly white men, as a symbol of unity for the country. He tabs Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) to captain the team and make them respectable (if not a whole lot more) heading into the World Cup. The rest, as they say, is history.Now, I can't say that this film was outright bad in any way. The race-relations message is one that resonates, the rugby team is certainly inspirational, and the acting is pretty good as well, led by the remarkable Freeman as one of the world's most storied leaders. Yet, unlike "Torino" or "Baby", the word I would use to describe this film is "understated". Instead of walloping viewers over the head with such heavy topics as euthanasia, religion, or death, in this effort Eastwood takes a much more low-key approach. There is drama, yes, and plenty of inspiration, but it just doesn't feel as epic as it could have been. Whether this was Eastwood trying to "follow the facts" as much as possible, or the real-life story just not providing the high drama of a fully scripted film, I'm not sure.Thus, if you are heading to the theater expecting utter greatness like I was, you will likely leave disappointed. However, if the topics/events/times in the film are of significant personal or cultural importance to you, then Invictus will automatically garner a five-star rating for its factual portrayal of the events that transpired.

Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) wins the election but faces a divided country and questions about his governing abilities. His bodyguard Jason is dismayed at the white presidential security hired by Mandela. He notices that the whites are cheering South Africa's rugby team Springbok but the blacks are cheering for the opposition. He has to fight back efforts by black activists and recruits captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon). The team is losing but they make a historic run in the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship hosted by South Africa.Director Clint Eastwood makes a perfectly fine historical drama. Freeman has the sense of the wise compelling leader. The only drawback with Matt Damon is his size. I don't see the physicality of the captain of the national rugby team. It's a minor quip. The drama is limited. It doesn't take full advantage of an underdog sports drama. This is more of a political drama but not a very daring one. The actual events may not have enough drama.