Review: 'Invictus' narrows its viewpoint

Mick LaSalle, Chronicle Movie Critic

Friday, December 11, 2009

nvictus

POLITE APPLAUSE Drama. Starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. Directed by Clint Eastwood. (PG-13. 134 minutes. At Bay Area theaters.)

Morgan Freeman has become such a notable and noble presence in American film that it would seem almost as appropriate for Nelson Mandela to be playing Freeman in "Invictus," instead of the reverse. Freeman's signature presence comes rich with associations, but it comes with disadvantages, too. For example, when this actor, who has one of the most recognizable speaking styles in movies, first starts talking with a South African accent, the effect is inescapably comical.

Equally disconcerting is the first sight of Freeman, who usually can manage little more than a wistful smile, suddenly beaming in that genial Mandela way. Instead of accepting that this is Mandela and he's cheerful, the first thought that flits across the mind is, "Wow. Morgan Freeman must be really happy to be playing Mandela."

And he should be happy. This latest from Clint Eastwood is, by design, a serious holiday-season movie and an automatic Academy Award contender. It's intelligent and classically made, and some people could easily mistake it for a great film. It is, in a sense, a movie in the Great Film Genre - with a worthy subject, an important director and a major actor swinging for the fences in the kind of real-life role that automatically wins respect. But it falls short of its clear intention (just a little too clear) to be inspirational.

This is what Eastwood gets for making a lot of great movies in recent years. When he finally makes just a good one, it's necessary to explain why, and it sounds like a slam. In fact, "Invictus" contains many fine Eastwood touches, which highlight his skill and his tough-guy Norman Rockwell personality.

Here's just one example: During a crucial rugby match, he shows a little black boy lingering by a police car, in which two white cops are listening to the game. Throughout the match, Eastwood cuts to the three of them, each time showing the boy edging closer ... until, finally, all three are listening and celebrating together. Eastwood contains the entire essence of his story in those little wordless tableaus, and in a light and seemingly offhand way.

"Invictus" is a sort of combination biopic/sports movie, which tells the story of Nelson Mandela from his release after 27 years in prison through his first years as South Africa's president. Freeman, who grows into the role, presents Mandela as a master manipulator, one who is genuinely appreciative of other people but nonetheless aware of his own charm. He has the politician's gift of being able to say things without saying them, and he's nicely matched, in their few scenes together, by Matt Damon as a rugby team captain who is modest, open and completely straightforward.

Some of the best parts of the film occur in the first hour, in which Mandela, upon assuming the presidency, has to rein in his own partisans who want to exact vengeance on the white population after years of apartheid. These early scenes show the dangers Mandela faced and showcase his political acumen, as well as his humanity and psychological insight. Mandela doesn't want to fracture his country but unite it, and so he seizes on the rugby team - with its millions of white fans - as a vehicle for bringing together all South Africans in a common cause. In his subtle, suggestive way, he lets it be known that South Africa must win the World Cup. "This country is hungry for greatness," he says.

At its best, "Invictus" demonstrates the connections between sports and politics, as in the superb scene in which the team goes to a poor black township to teach the kids rugby. But as the film wears on, "Invictus" takes on the contours of a standard sports movie, making it both predictable - wanna guess the ending? - and reductive: Certainly South Africa had bigger problems than rugby, and Mandela had more on his plate than the World Cup.

Eastwood devotes about 20 minutes to the final game. He does it well: For one thing, he doesn't fall back on the crutch of having an announcer tell us what's going on. But by then, "Invictus" is mostly about the game, and only partly about South Africa and Mandela. It's never less than worthy and entertaining, but the importance of "Invictus" doesn't broaden as it goes along. It narrows.

-- Advisory: Aside from some brief strong language - cover their ears - there's nothing here that kids can't see.

E-mail Mick LaSalle at mlasalle@sfchronicle.com.