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Topic: Invictus (2009)

David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 12-12-2009 09:25 PM

Today at Regal 15 in Eugene, #9 in 35mm. The image had a slight horizontal jitter to it that makes titles look bad and probably doesn't do any good in general. Sounded good, loud enough and it needs to be played loud due to how some of the dialog is recorded.

This is not a great film, but it's ok. As a director it seems increasingly like Eastwood uses the same bag of tricks (including his collaborators on both sides of the camera) over and over again, and it's really starting to show. In Invictus he loves to again drop in snippets of inappropriate music at odd times. As usual recently the music is composed by him or members of his immediate family (Kyle Eastwood co-composed in this case). I really hate the overuse of obvious musical cues that are supposed to tell me how to feel.

Morgan Freeman's performance is great, as expected. Matt Damon is almost unrecognizable at first but he's good too. On the casting side, continuing with the nitpicking, it seems like Eastwood repeats here what he did in Gran Torino, using some non-professionals. They stand out like the proverbial sore thumb.

Spoiler Alert - Click to Toggle
Possibly the most effective scene in the movie for me is when the Springbok team tours the prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. The cell shown in the movie, which is like 6 feet square, is supposedly the actual cell.

Like Gran Torino though, the whole is greater than some of the parts (or their sum), and the movie isn't horrible. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 12-12-2009 10:20 PM

For me this was a HUGE letdown from Eastwood. I was flat out bored. I think taking a dump would have been more exciting. I did not care about ANY of the characters, whether they lived, died or took pictures of themselves in front of Phil's house.

I shall pretend Clint Eastwood did not make this tremendous turd of a movie and give him another chance with his next film, as normally his movies are very good.

Spoiler Alert - Click to Toggle
This movie sucked!

0 out of 5 stars

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Eric Hooper
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 532
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-06-2010 01:22 PM

I thought all the slow motion close up shots with the slow motion sound of the guys grunting and moaning during the game was a little overdone. [sex]

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Tom Petrov
Five Guys Lover

Posts: 1121
From: El Paso, TX
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 01-27-2010 11:54 PM

quote: David Stambaugh
This is not a great film, but it's ok. As a director it seems increasingly like Eastwood uses the same bag of tricks (including his collaborators on both sides of the camera) over and over again, and it's really starting to show.

I agree, I love Clint Eastwood and have most of his movies, but he needs to reinvent himself as a director. It seems like he is trying so hard to make a movie that will be nominated or win an Academy Award that it tends to get in the way.

quote: David Stambaugh
In Invictus he loves to again drop in snippets of inappropriate music at odd times. As usual recently the music is composed by him or members of his immediate family (Kyle Eastwood co-composed in this case)

I agree with the music part, he did the music for Mystic River if I recall and it was outstanding, but he needs to to let that go if his next few films are to stand out.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-28-2010 01:21 AM

quote: Eric Hooper
I thought all the slow motion close up shots with the slow motion sound of the guys grunting and moaning during the game was a little overdone.

I think he's seen the original 'The Longest Yard' a few too many times perhaps.

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Jeremy Jorgenson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1002
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 01-28-2010 07:42 PM

quote: Tom Petrov
I love Clint Eastwood and have most of his movies, but he needs to reinvent himself as a director. It seems like he is trying so hard to make a movie that will be nominated or win an Academy Award that it tends to get in the way.

I don't think his style points to him trying to win the Oscars, he's had a similar style throughout his whole directing career, but it didn't start getting Oscar nods until Unforgiven. And I certainly don't agree with the suggestion of him needing to reinvent his directing style. Eastwood is one of the most prolific directors currently active in American cinema. Like Woody Allen, Eastwood's progression (or, some might say, lack of progression) of directorial style from film to film is interesting to me, and I'm happy to continue to witness that progression to its finish (which hopefully isn't any time soon). Obviously, with an output as great as his (over 30 features) there are going to be peaks and valleys, to me that just adds to the overall ride. [Smile]

As for Invictus itself, I actually liked it. Admittedly, I had higher expectations going into the screening, but it's been over a month since I've seen it, and my impressions are definitely more positive than negative.

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