Not exactly historically accurate. But it made for an engrossing and interesting watch.

Rating: 8/10 (6 September 2010)

Invictus is a movie I avoided for a while due to the uninteresting subject matter that was at hand for me. I am well aware of Nelson Mandella's accomplishments, and what he did, but in reality he didn't interest me all that much. Rugby is also a sport I detest because I get bored easily from it. Invictus surprised me by keeping me involved with its story, and despite the long running time, I was never bored during any of it. Invictus deserves praise for giving us a very good story, but it is Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman who deserve real kudos. Morgan Freeman's mannerisms and impersonation of Nelson was simply uncanny, and I really felt he pulled it off beautifully. Clint Eastwood's direction is also on the ball as usual. He directs with a certain flair and tenacity during the Rugby scenes. Nothing overly intense, but very effective and impressive for my liking. The only thing that bothered me was that despite the feel-good ending, the rugby team did NOT win that way.
Performances. Morgan Freeman is brilliant as Mandella. He has mannerisms down to a T, and I truly felt he WAS Nelson Mandella. Is he Oscar worthy? Not quite, but he is still very, very good. Matt Damon is equally as impressive as Francois. His accent is a bit inconsistent, but I admired his intensity and all business attitude. He was engrossing to watch.
Bottom line. Invictus isn't the Oscar epic it so desperately wanted to be. However it is still an interesting movie that I recommend quite highly.
8/10