male bonding

Rating: 8/10 (26 August 2006)

Despite Mark Wahlberg's reputation as a person, i am a fan of his films and his work, and he didn't disappoint me in Invincible. The film had a way of bringing my age home, since i remember Vince Papale, how bad the Eagles were, Dick Vermeil and of course, the infamous Tom Landry, so this film was nostalgic for me. I recall the music of that time too, and, thankfully, i didn't notice any disco. I expected to see an inspiring football film, and for the most part, it was. But it had something else i really wasn't expecting, which for me was the essence of this film, and that was, camaraderie, support, atmosphere, and friendship. I was happy to see Michael Kelly too, the seeming A**h** who turned out to be a courageous, self-sacrificing guy in Dawn of the Dead (remake).I am not a fan at all of Ericson Core's other projects, with the exception of The Fast and the Furious, and i noticed that he was the cinematographer as well as the directer here. He did a good job. There were certain touches which i appreciated, such as the sequence where Vince was driving around trying to find some inspiration. He saw a young boy playing football with his number, 83, taped on his back; and he saw his friends playing football in the mud, a long-held tradition amid the backdrop of unemployment, strikes, and hard times in a working class city with gutsy people. One could argue that yes, this film was very formulaic. But the film was "inspired" by a real person; a son of Philadelphia; the city's biggest fan. I feel the film could have used another five minutes or so at the end, for a less abrupt denouement; but perhaps it was because Invincible was about courage, determination, the American dream, family and friends. Those aspects came through very well, even in spite of Papale's life-long struggles with self confidence and esteem. I'd recommend this film for most people. Not just football fans.