Invictus

Best picture chances

Eastwood, of course, is no stranger to the Oscars, although many were surprised to see his box-office hit Gran Torino snubbed last year. Still, Invictus bears the hallmarks of a winner with awards groups in all the major categories, not least because it touches on such a historic issue — the end of apartheid in South Africa — in the context of an exciting and entertaining sports film.

What Screen said

“An old-fashioned crowd-pleaser which is both a rousing sports movie and a testament to the nobility of Nelson Mandela, Invictus is another strong entry in Clint Eastwood’s fast-growing body of work… Invictus benefits from the Eastwood stamp, the clout of Warner Bros as a studio distributor and two big stars — Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon… If the film might appear self-important or didactic going in, that would be to underestimate Eastwood’s skill at using humour and humanity to take any hot air out of his own sails.”

Mike Goodridge