Ever since we got Netflix I've been catching up on movies I wanted to see in the theater but missed. This week it was "Invictus." I figured anything with Morgan Freeman in it had to be good, and I think Matt Damon is an underrated actor too.
We liked this movie but it didn't have quite the thrill I expected. Have to say Morgan Freeman took on an impossible task playing Nelson Mandela. How in the world do you portray a man who is admired in most of the world, a man who has achieved fame that very few leaders do. His charisma, his charm, his genuine determination to make South Africa into a rainbow nation all combine to make him a person no one could hope to portray really well. Freeman had his posture, his mannerisms, and his firmness with those who only sought revenge down pat, but the charm and charisma just weren't there.
The poem that inspired him, "Invictus," is the one that ends:
"It matters not how strait the gate
How charged with punishment the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul."
Most critics hate it but who can argue with the inspiration it gave Nelson Mandela to survive the long years of imprisonment without coming out full of plans for revenge.
For once Matt Damon's good looks were appropriate for his role as the captain of South Africa's rugby team. I expected his leadership after meeting Mandela to be sort of "pow" but it was more subtle and therefore more realistic. I liked very much the scene where he took the team to Robin Island to see where Mandela had been imprisoned. What was "pow" was his build. He obviously hit the gym a lot preparing for the role.
As for Netflix, we weren't affected by the recent price hike at all. We chose the plan where we get one DVD at a time in the mail. We aren't interested in immediate streaming of the movie on our television set. Our monthly fee remained exactly the same and we are just as happy as we were before the mess that made so many people unsubscribe.
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My husband loved this movie, but I haven't seen it. We both recently say: The Help, Contagion and Ides of March and loved them all - recommended.
ReplyDeleteWe got this from Netflix also a couple of months ago. I think I had the same reaction you did. My husband liked it more, but he used to play rugby, so he had that affinity going on.
ReplyDeleteDiane and Jill, I kept wishing I knew something about rugby. Dave doesn't either so we were a bit lost there. I'm dying to see "The Help" and I had wondered about "Ides of March" so it's nice to know you liked it, Diane.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this one is streaming - that's the only way we get Netflix. This sounds like it's worth watching.
ReplyDeleteI've been on a Matt Damon roll the past month and now I have to see this one. I'm eager to see Matt Damon in the upcoming "J. Edgar" and wanted to review some of his other roles first. I like him as an actor. Thanks for tipping me off to this one.
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