I'm not saying that Freeman is a bad actor; he is very good. He's just typecast. The character that Morgan Freeman plays is Morgan Freeman -- and that gets boring. It makes it seem as though he can't play anyone else.

So I was skeptical about Invictus. The good reviews, Freeman's 2010 Oscars nomination, the fact that Nelson Mandela himself wanted the actor to play him in the movie -- these did nothing to dissuade my qualms. But I decided to sit down and tune into Clint Eastwood's film, and my doubts washed away.

Invictus is an account of South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman), and his attempt to unite the two races of South Africa through the one thing that unites people even till today: sports. In this case, the sport was rugby. In the mid-1990s, the Springboks (South Africa's national rugby team) were very much hated by black South Africans. Knowing this, Mandela personally liased with the captain of the Springboks, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), with his plans for unity when South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Unlike his other movies, in Invictus, Morgan Freeman manages to play Nelson Mandela. His portrayal of Mandela is remarkable. From the accent and the tone of the president, to portraying the pain and burdens he bore through those years, Freeman nails it. The Oscar nomination is well-deserved.

Thematically, the film is eye-opening. It's interesting (and relevant, to us) to see South Africa's two communities' transition from hate to respect through rugby. One scene, where Mandela watches his white bodyguards teaching his black bodyguards about rugby and playing together in the president’s front yard, is particularly moving.

Do note that Invictus is a sports movie: it features a lot of rugby, speeches, and inspiring moments, which can sometimes be a drag. But don't let this stop you. Go watch!

(And, just so you know, the title Invictus came from a short poem by William Ernest Henley, which was also mentioned in the movie itself.)

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Director Clint Eastwood Cast Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Patrick Mofokeng, Tony Kgoroge Runtime 134 minutes Opens 4 March 2010

Text Alissa Roslan