Finally Invictus (and It Was Good)

Freeman, Eastwood, Damon make "Invictus" solid^

I think Christina and I beat the system today. We finally slipped past the stacked obstacles and saw "Invictus," which had been eluding us from theater to theater, illogical time slot to truly bizarre timeslot for nearly five weeks.

Not a great movie, but a good one; certainly well worth seeing. This is the story of the 1995 World Cup rugby championships won by a newly created and inclusive South Africa (no longer divided by a separation of races). It was a championship and a pursuit that, at least according to the movie (and I don't recall the history myself), united the nation, still shaky and uncertain of its future.

The movie is, basically, predictable and we've all seen it before using sports as diverse as football, baseball and basketball, soccer, ballroom dancing and bicycling as the centerpiece. This is the first one I've seen based on rugby.

The one element this movie had that the others lacked--and it's a big one--is Matt Damon, an actor who elevates every movie he's in. He's subtle and effective here in a movie meant to showcase Morgan Freeman. It is directed by Clint Eastwood, who knows a bit about action.

In any case, I'm really glad this dang quest is over. 'Twas a frustrating one, but at 11:30 this morning, we sat down and prayed the film wouldn't break.