Invictus (2009)

I have been looking forward to watching Invictus for quite some time now. I was able to finally take the time to watch it (thanks to Redbox availability!). Now I am not wholly sure why I was so looking forward to this story. It could have been the intriguing story of Nelson Mandela and the beginnings of his presidency, or how it so involved the South African Rugby team, or it could have possibly just been the fact that Morgan Freeman was the lead actor. In all honesty, it was probably the latter.
It didn’t dawn on me until the credits had rolled that this was another of Clint Eastwood’s directorial works. I have to say that the movie was engaging, well paced, and overall entertaining. I was able to overlook the somewhat difficult accents both Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon used in this movie. Granted, I am no expert when it comes to South African dialect, but it just felt stiff in comparison to the dialogue heard in “District 9″ (also based in South Africa). That aside, I felt the performances given by each actor was solid and heartfelt.
If you look at this movie as an inspirational sports movie like “Miracle”, “Remember the Titans”, “Rudy” or similar movies, then you will likely be disappointed. If you look at the movie as a journey of a fledgling leader attempting to unite his people through any means necessary, then you will likely enjoy the story. This movie ultimately succeeds in inspiring the viewer with an unlikely combination of politics and sports while rarely ever going “over the top.”
And, to answer your question, which I also asked, of “What does Invictus mean?” Well, I learned that it is Latin for “unconquered”. An apt title for this journey.