Invictus

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman

An unpopular opinion, I know, but I'll be honest: I've been lukewarm about Clint Eastwood lately. No one can deny he's a talented director and his heart is in the right place. However, I found The Grand Torino a huge disappointment, filled with stereotypes, cliches, and acting so stiff and calculated it was painful to watch. Roger Ebert noted that revenge is a theme in all of Eastwood's films. That's why this film put me back in the Clint Eastwood fan club, because this is a film about forgiveness. Consider this for just a moment: Nelson Mandella was in prison for 27 years. 27 YEARS. That's longer than I have been alive. Try to put yourself in that position for just a moment. Imagine that you have been oppressed, discriminated against, that you have watched people being murdered, been the victim of the most atrocious acts of hatred, and after 27 years of imprisonment by those very people, 27 years to stew on all those injustices, you come out with only one word on your lips: Forgive.

I am also thrilled to finally sit in a movie theater and watch a film about triumph in Africa. A film about empowerment from the inside out. Though I still wait for the day when this film will be made by South Africans, starring South Africans.