Nelson Mandela’s release from Robben Prison after nearly 26 years sets the scene for this biopic directed by Clint Eastwood. Based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy, successfully elected President Mandela sets out to unite a divided nation through rugby.

Racial tensions are running high between the white Afrikaners and the black population. The latter opting to cheer on the opposing rugby teams. Here Mandela sees an opportunity to turn things around. Enter Matt Damon aka Francois Pienaar. As captain of the South African Rugby team, Mandela seeks an alliance and so the journey begins…

The fear with most biopic films is that the star will stand out more than the character they are meant to portray. Thankfully iconic actor Morgan Freeman defies the odds and portrays a believable Mandela. His accent isn’t overdone, nor are his mannerisms. Matt Damon also pulls off a convincing South African accent. Often is the case that minute details such as these can distract from the plot and make viewers lose sight of the story in hand. 

Chuckles are had through glimpses of Mandela’s mischievous side, his unrelenting optimism and love of the classic cup of tea. This as well as the remnants of a broken family are unfortunately cast aside for the bigger picture - the Rugby World Cup.

Lovers of rugby will revel in the up-close-and-personal shooting style of the matches. The high impact game provides enough action to keep the film moving along. Damon shows the gritty determination that was first introduced to us via the Bourne films.

The feelings of unity, passion and uplifting optimism grow more and more from start to finish. There are moments where this falters. The over-the-top cheesy songs which cropped up every now and then made the moments which accompanied it a bit forced. Nevertheless, the scenes where the South African rugby team teach children the game and the opening of the final of the Rugby World Cup totally contradict this.

All in all, Invictus is definitely worth watching. Although it would have been better if we saw more of the Madiba that South Africa fell in love with.

Special Features

The extras for this film offer a glimpse into the inspiration and thought process that went into the making of the film.

Matt Damon Plays Rugby: gives a brief insight into how Matt Damon “became” Francois Pienaar.
Invictus music trailer
Vision Courage and Honour - Clint Eastwood and the Power of a True Story (Picture in Picture): Clint Eastwood explains in-depth what attracted him to this story.
Mandela Meets Morgan: Echoing the first meeting between Mandela and Pienaar, Morgan Freeman and Mandela converse over a nice cup of tea.
The Eastwood Factor : A Clint Eastwood documentary
Picture in Picture exploration with cast, crew and the real people who lived this true story.