Invictus rugby scenes draw praise

Tuesday 8 December 2009
Published By: Ben Welch
International Rugby > South Africa

Good sports films are few and far between, and good films about rugby union are pretty much non-existent.

So rugger fans may be cheered to hear that not only is Invictus - which follows Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar on the road to South Africa's historic 1995 World Cup win - drawing some solid reviews, but its rugby scenes are meant to be excellent as well.

Of course, the praise is coming from the US - where it's out next week, as opposed to February in the UK - so the idea that these critics know what they're talking about with regards to rugby may cause some sniggering.

And none of them seem to be appalled at the fact that Matt Damon is playing Pienaar (is anybody else reminded of Sylvester Stallone's appearance as the goalie in Escape To Victory?)

But it at least sounds fairly promising and may well capture some of the magic of the Boks' famous victory over the All Blacks.

Mike Goodridge of Screen wrote: "The final 40 minutes leave any such subtlety behind ... detailing the bone-crunching action of the match with heart-thumping manipulation.

"It's a brilliantly shot and cut section which will move the hardest of audience members."