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Movie Releases: Princess and the Frog, Invictus, A Single Man…

Kara Stanford-Jones — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:57:59 +0000

As we all know, last week was pretty uneventful in terms of new movie releases, thankfully, that all changes today. December 11th marks Disney’s return to hand-drawn animation with The Princess and the Frog, which looks gorgeous. Ever since we saw a few clips of it back at Comic-Con all signs point to Disney magic. Peter Jackson’s new movie, The Lovely Bones, has received mixed reviews, but is beautifully shot and hey, it’s Peter Jackson! Fashion designer, Tom Ford‘s new film, A Single Man, starring Colin Firth will be in limited release this wee, but is sure to grow with Oscar buzz. Finally we have Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman‘s latest movie, Invictus, about the relationship between Nelson Mandela and the South African Rugby player, Francois Pienaar, after Mandela was elected President. Enjoy!

Check out the movies coming out this week…

The Princess and the Frog | ScreenCrave Review | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
The Lovely Bones | ScreenCrave Review | ScreenCrave Interview | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
Invictus | ScreenCrave Review | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
A Single Man [Limited] | Tom Ford Interview | Colin Firth Interview | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
A Slammin’ Salmon | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes

Check out the trailers…

Princess and the Frog

A Single Man

The Lovely Bones

Invictus

A Slammin’ Salmon

Invictus: Movie Review

Krystal Clark — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:30:06 +0000

Oscar winning director Clint Eastwood travels to racially charged South Africa for his latest film, Invictus. The film follows former South African president Nelson Mandela as he attempts to unite the country with the help of their national rugby team. Eastwood uses the acting talents of Oscar winners Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon to bring Mandela and rugby player Francois Pienaar’s journey to life. Invictus has good intentions but comes across as a feature length infomercial on tolerance, which in the end kills its message.

The Players:

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Anthony Peckham, John Carlin (book)
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng, Matt Stern, Adjoa Andoh, Marguerite Wheatley

The Plot:

Invictus takes place in the mid-nineties when Nelson Mandela is settling into his position as the president of South Africa. His first order of business is to break down the racial barriers that were previously enforced by the apartheid system of government, and he plans on using the sport of rugby to do it. He enlists the help of Francois Pienaar, the captain of the South African Springboks, in hopes that he can take the team to the World Cup Championship. He believes that every citizen no matter their race, can learn to coexist through their love of the game.

The Good:

Matt Damon: Surprisingly, Damon didn’t come off as bad as some people might think. His accent was on point and physically he looked the part. You can tell that he went through extensive training for his role, and it paid off tenfold.
Tony Kgoroge: This little known actor starred as the head of Mandela’s security, and held some of the most engaging scenes in the film. We see him struggle with the changes that are implemented throughout the course of the story and his character arc is one of the most fascinating to watch.
Cinematography: The camera shots used to show the landscape of South Africa are beautiful. From the very first scene of the film there’s a constant conflict between the images of the wealthy part of the country in opposition to the inner city slums.

The Bad:

Morgan Freeman: Freeman is a talented actor but his performance was lacking. Within the first two scenes his South African accent began to drop, and he came across as stoic and untouchable. In the film they emphasize how down to earth Mandela is but he comes across as “godlike,” which keeps you from relating to him on a human level. You forget that he’s a real man, because he’s written like a fictional character.
Screenplay: Some movies that are based on actual events manage to keep you on the edge of your seat even though you know the outcome. Invictus does not pull that off. From the very first time the rugby team steps on the field you know their going to be world champions by the time the film’s over. There isn’t a proper build up for the audience, which cheats you out of any type of pay off.
Editing: During that last act of the film, there are some jarring editing choices that take you out of the moment. There’s nothing wrong with establishing shots, but you don’t have to use them repeatedly ad nauseum. Without giving too much away, don’t expect many consistent shots of the final game because it gets chopped to pieces.

Overall:

Invictus has every intention of being an inspirational story about tolerance and progress but comes off as over the top. The lack of subtlety hinders the story and takes away from the overall theme. Invictus isn’t the best Clint Eastwood film, but it definitely isn’t the worst either. This is a movie that you’d have to be in the mood see, otherwise you’ll just leave the theater annoyed.

Invictus debuts in theaters nationwide on December 11, 2009

Rating: 6/10

Trailer:

Invictus Hero Francois Pienaar Finally Speaks

Krystal Clark — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:15:17 +0000

Clint Eastwood’s take on the journey between Nelson Mandela and rugby player Francois Pienaar hits theaters tomorrow, and it has people from all over wondering what really happened between those two. How could a sport transform the entire political climate of a country? Pienaar recently sat down with CNN to discuss his reaction to the film and that historic day in 1995 when South Africa won the World Cup.

Shortly after the election of President Mandela, the unsuspecting Pienaar became a political instrument used to unite the racially separated country. He recently spoke out about his first meeting with the president, which had him shaking in his boots.

“I can’t tell you how nervous I was,” he said. “I didn’t know what he was going to ask me. I wondered: ‘Why does he want to see me? What am I going to say?’ “

In the film, it cites the World Cup Championship game as the first day that white South Africans accepted Mandela as their president. Due to the implemented apartheid system that enforced racial segregation, it was a long and bumpy road to get to that point. Before then, Pienaar himself didn’t question the tactics of the apartheid, or involve himself in politics.

“Sadly, I couldn’t say that I did,” he said. “I didn’t oppose apartheid. Politics wasn’t on my radar screen. I saw the divisions in life and in school, but I just didn’t ask why.”

After getting to know the president, it was easy for Pienaar to see the cracks in the South African legal system. One of his most life changing moments was when he visited Mandela’s prison cell, where he stayed for nearly 30 years.

“I just bawled,” Pienaar said. “That’s the part of the movie that got to me the most. I just thought to myself, how could we have done this to this man for 27 years?”

In the film Matt Damon takes on the role of the legendary athlete, and does his best to emulate his stature and thick African accent. The film represents what happens when compassion and determination take center stage with two of the most unlikely allies. Invictus debuts in theaters everywhere on December 11, 2009.

What do you think of the real Francois Pienaar’s story? Does it make you interested in seeing the film?

Clint Eastwood’s Invictus Trailer

Krystal Clark — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:04:23 +0000

Last week we brought you a new poster for Clint Eastwood’s upcoming drama Invictus, and now we’ve got the film’s first trailer. The story for Invictus centers on Nelson Mandela as played by Morgan Freeman, and Francois Pienaar a South African rugby captain played by Matt Damon. The unlikely duo joins forces to unite a shattered country through their love of the sport.

Check out the trailer…

I have a bad feeling that after watching this trailer a lot of people are going to compare Damon’s accent to Leonardo DiCaprio‘s in Blood Diamond. You don’t get to hear it much in this trailer, but it’s not horrible, it’s just not as pronounced. Invictus looks like another film that will be marketed for awards season. Is it just me or was Morgan Freeman born to play Mandela? Invictus hits theaters on December 11, 2009.

What do you think of the trailer for Invictus?

New Invictus Theatrical Poster

Krystal Clark — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:33:18 +0000

It’s here. A new official poster for Clint Eastwood’s upcoming drama, Invictus. The film reunites the director with frequent co-star Morgan Freeman who stars as Nelson Mandela in the film. He’s accompanied by a rather blond Matt Damon who stars as a the captain of a South African rugby team. The poster looks inspirational even though the story it’s based on is quite tumultuous.

Check out the poster…

After the fall of apartheid, South Africa was host to the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Mandela was in his first term as South African president, and he used the event as a way to end decades of mistrust and hatred between whites and blacks. This film is once again being called an Oscar caliber piece due to the performances given by both Freeman and Damon. Perhaps this could be Damon’s first opportunity to win as Oscar for his acting as opposed to his writing skills.

What do you think of the poster for Clint Eastwood’s Invictus?

Source: Yahoo, Screenrush

Clint Eastwood’s Invictus Get’s a release date

Krystal Clark — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:33:15 +0000

Clint Eastwood’s next film to have Oscar buzz written all over it has finally gotten a release date. According to RopeofSilicon Warner Bros sent out an official press release for the film entitled Invictus, formally known as The Human Factor. Invictus takes place in South Africa, and tells the story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of a South African rugby team to unite the country.

Mandela will be portrayed by Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, and Matt Damon will star as the rugby captain. In the film Mandela hopes that the economic and racially segregated country will come together over their love for the sport. This motive eventually produces a successful run at the 1995 World Cup Championship. The screenplay was written by South African native Anthony Peckham, and is based off the John Carlin book, “Playing the Enemy.”

Invictus will be released on December 11 of this year, going head to head with Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones. Eastwood’s films aren’t typically big box office draws, but they attract attention from the Academy like moths to a flame. As usual he’s got a strong and talented cast that will mesh well with his directing style. Eastwood has worked with Freeman several times before, and even directed his Oscar winning performance in Million Dollar Baby.

Are you interested in seeing Invictus or The Lovely Bones this winter?

ScreenCrave.com » invictus

Movie Releases: Princess and the Frog, Invictus, A Single Man…

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Invictus: Movie Review

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The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 6/10

Trailer:

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