Invictus
Clint Eastwood, South Africa, USA, 2009o
Newly elected President Nelson Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.
Damon, beefed up for the occasion, makes Pienaar a stalwart yet courtly figure. Freeman infuses Mandela's speeches with the same gentleness and gravity he's brought to his numerous God roles and the Visa Olympics commercials. But the real deity here is Eastwood, still chugging away handsomely in his 80th year.
Richard CorlissClint Eastwood, a master director, orchestrates all of these notes and has us loving Mandela, proud of Francois and cheering for the plucky Springboks. A great entertainment. Not, as I said, the Mandela biopic I would have expected.
Roger EbertInvictus est d'abord un film de réalisateur. Matt Damon en capitaine blondinet et Morgan Freeman, adoubé par Mandela lui-même pour l'incarner, se mettent au diapason de cette oeuvre généreuse.
Caroline ViéEastwood nous fait revivre de l'intérieur cette aventure humaine, orchestrant l'émotion en un formidable crescendo.
Jacques Morice