The Matt Damon/Morgan Freeman film Invictus opens this weekend but - having managed to get to see a preview this evening - the message is... don't miss it!
Really. The core of the story - how Nelson Mandela sought to pull South Africa together after his election - is very watchable on its own, but the rugby scenes are brilliant! Concerns that a film featuring two Americans in star roles, and directed by another American (Clint Eastwood) would result in an embarrassingly awful portrayal of the game prove largely groundless to the extent that you wonder what an audience that had not seen rugby before would make of it (especially as the final - recreated in depth for the climax of the film - features no tries or anything else that followers of American Football might understand) .
What you do get is some of the "most exciting film of rugby I have ever seen" to quote my 13 year-old companion as "Jonah Lomu" was nailed by three South African defenders for the fourth time - it even achieves the impossible by making everyone watching support the Springboks!!
Invictus. Why not take along someone who doesn't like rugby much? They'll be huge fans of the game before you know it!
Am really looking forward to this film. Felt the hairs on my neck after only watching the preview and I´m an Englishman. Could have perhaps been released a little later from a South African point of view to help their team but nonetheless a definate one to go and watch surely. The best online bookmakers currently have New zealand as favourites for the World cup next year. (As always :)
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