The Real Mandela & Pienaar
Rachel and I went to our first movie at a theater since parenthood. We were planning on seeing An Education, but the theater was closed. So in a late change, we went with a recommendation from my mother and saw Invictus at another Cinema. And while our initial Netflix rating would have been a three star out of five, the movie has been nagging at me ever since. It’s a similar feeling I had after watching two of Eastwood’s other films (Mystic River and Gran Torino). They were dramatic, they were well shot, they had emotional music, and they had a feel of grandeur. But something was missing. When I told my mom this, she said I was too critical. I actually conceded that she was probably right. I mean, like I said, this was our first visit to a theater since the baby. I’m a little edgy, with the lack of sleep. And the person in the seat behind me was chewing the ice in her fountain soda. So maybe the film really was great, and I was just in a bad place while watching it. But then my favorite sports columnist weighed in on the exact subject and I’m pretty sure he nailed my frustration with the film.
Read Bill Simmons’ review of Invictus HERE (as well as his selection for top sports movies of the decade)
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January 3, 2010 at 12:56 am
Jesse Schmal
Yes! We haven’t even seen Invictus yet, but when I was talking with Bill Huling the other day about seeing it, I totally forgot it’s Clint Eastwood, and Bec and I both think he kind of sucks. Mystic River put me in a rage over how overrated it was, and Million Dollar Baby was like a spoof of a melodramatic American film made by really funny Brits. “Mokushla…it…means….” pththththth. He’s totally as you called it, slick and manipulative. We already know your mom [sorry Karin] doles out 5 stars on Netflix like she’s on commission! The only way you can be too critical with art is if it doesn’t allow you to *ever* enjoy it, which I know with you is not the case.
Note: we are about to sit down to watch Sugar
January 3, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Karin Ash
Because of the incessant criticism of you two, I adjusted my rating system. I stopped giving 5 stars and if you look at my Netflix ratings over the past few months you will see many three starred movies that I really did enjoy.
I would give Invictus a four star and this is why:
-The movie does a very good job of portraying Mandela—why WOULDN’T you select Freeman to play him just because he is obvious? Simmons criticizes the choice of Damon because he is is not obvious. You can’t have it both ways.
-The movie informs the public about a unique international role model and about a sport that the average movie patron might not otherwise care to research.
-You learn more about how Mandela managed to survive and thrive – he studied the enemy while in prison.
I shared a movie review from Ebert with Ethan that was much more positive than Simmon’s. And, how can you hold him up as your movie critic of choice when he says “There was nothing to figure out about him, no surprises coming, no layers that needed to be peeled back. HE WAS JUST A GREAT AND UNDERSTATED MAN.” Excuse me, but Simmons is a SPORTS writer–not a movie critic. No surprises about Mandela? That says it all for me.
(When I saw Up in the Air, the guy next to us was sliding one candy at a time for the entire movie, each time rattling the box)
We just saw Precious. I rate it a 4.5. Ethan…Jesse??
January 4, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Jesse Schmal
Jan, you sound really cool and level headed. Let’s get a beer and talk about movies! It will be lots and lots of fun.
January 4, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Jan
Jesse Schmal – you’re as stupidly ignorant as Bill Simmons with his clueless evaluation of ‘Invictus.’ . Please do us all a favor & step out in front of the nearest moving vehicle.
January 4, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Rob Snyder
Oh sure, let’s crap on Dirty Harry, when it’s Ethan who simply couldn’t put his review into words and was forced to hyperlink to a Bill Simmons article to get his thoughts in print!