Sep 18, 2010 09:26 AM
2037 Views
A blunt, direct approach to retelling the events of Nelson Mandela’s historic promotion of the 1995 Rugby World Cup that led to a more optimistic climate for the South African nation. Compared to his recent works like Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima, and Grand Torino, director Clint Eastwood has produced a very to-the-point perspective on the journey toward the game. He has cast a great actor in the role of Mandela, the ever-wise Morgan Freeman, deemed the only actor who could portray Mandela by Mandela himself. Freeman is simply wonderful in the role and captures the intelligence, patience, and that strange adorable quality to the former president with great success. The other key figure in this campaign was Rugby player François Pienaar, played by Matt Damon. The casting of Damon in this role has met some fierce controversy. Many Rugby fans have complained that Damon lacks the intimidating size and personality of the legendary athlete despite an Oscar nod along with Freeman, respectively.
From my view, I can kind of see the fans’ point. Freeman fits Mandela like a glove whereas Damon looks almost uncomfortable in the part. Perhaps this was intentional, but it is somewhat hard to believe that this captain of the team could motivate his fellow players in ways that Mandela could not initially. Therefore, it seems thin in places where Damon is supposed to create some great encouragement, yet without a vital range. That range is important because, like so many sports stars, it is exactly what makes them stars: their emotional triumphs and falls.
Eastwood keeps his focus mostly on interactions between people, especially the players during the game. It is very simplistic, in a good way surprisingly, and this efficiency gives you exactly what Eastwood intended. This is what happened and that’s it. It probably is not the most ideal way to telling any cinematic story, but many filmmakers in their latter years strive for a minimalist eye. It is an overall nice effort.
