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This movie set in modern South Africa stars Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as rugby star Francois Painter. The movie operates more as a character study and is a perfect example how less is more in terms of a story line. There are enough oblique references to the importance of South Africa within Africa and worldwide, but the movie chooses to focus on that in a most positive way by keeping the story on the unexpected rise of the ruby team in the World Cup competition under the prodding of Nelson Mandela. Matt Damon, with an accent and additional blond locks, does an excellent job as the pensive yet determined leader of the team, who finds inspiration is Nelson Mandela’s own rise from a quarter of a century prisoner to a world stage leader. If he can rise from such circumstances, then maybe the team can as well. The photography in this film which includes several sweeping aerial views is so lush and attractive, that it might be worth seeing the film again and just focusing on the visuals and at times the soundtrack is not far behind the photography for sheer beauty as it deepens into the scenes. While the overall responsibilities of Mandela are more so referred to in his meetings, it is done in such a way that it doesn’t take the viewer away from the sports story and as the movie unfolds how the unity behind the sport can potentially mirror an unfolding unity of the nation that had been previously lacking. The movie portrays a more optimistic view that might have been felt in the sunny days of the 60’s in the United States and the sweeping panorama of South Africa in this movie depicts a rising infrastructure behind already existing natural beauty With technology and the arts soaring, as well as the art of sport, there can be found human elements of emotion and feeling that resonate for felt hope now and into the uncertain but maybe luminous future.
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