Little character development in uplifting 'Invictus'

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge

Morgan Freeman was born to play Nelson Mandela, the former iconic President of South Africa - it’s just a pity that he hasn’t been given much to work with in this true story of the country’s Rugby World Cup campaign of 1995, during Mandela’s first term in office.

Of course you don’t have to know much about rugby other than its peculiar significance to the South African soul: it was, and largely still is, a sport played and supported by whites – as is cricket (soccer tends to be the black sport).

But when he took office, Mandela wisely turned to the rugby team as a means of drawing his countrymen together in the era immediately after apartheid.

The idea of sport uniting people still holds good and Mandela’s urging of captain Francois Pienaar and his fellow players to go out and win the trophy for the nation was inspired.

Thus Eastwood’s telling of the story is equally uplifting, even if the characters are only half-realised and some of the more politically interesting events of the time are glossed over.

Freeman is, as always, excellent and Damon, a fine actor, does his best as the sporting hero without really testing himself.

Star Rating: 3/5