Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Invictus

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Invictus – Opening December 11, 2009



This film comes out on Friday, and I’ve been seeing the trailer everywhere recently. It’s one of those films that just looks like a great movie. Clint Eastwood is an accomplished director whose last few films have all been very interesting contemplative meditations on different subjects. “Mystic River,” “Changeling,” and “Gran Torino” were all tragic stories of loss and what follows, while “Flags of our Fathers” and “Letters from Iwo Jima” provided two perspectives on one monumental event. This looks like Eastwood’s next great film, and the trailer briefly demonstrates why this is likely so. Nelson Mandela’s story is an inspiring one, and rarely that Eastwood make movies that are actually happy or optimistic. Veteran actor Morgan Freeman looks like he’s a perfect fit for Mandela, and it’s an example of dream casting. Matt Damon also gets the chance to put on a foreign accent and immerse himself in a role. That has worked marvelously (“The Departed”) and poorly (“The Good Shepherd”) in the past, and this looks like it will be more like the former, albeit a more serious and equally excellent performance. The film boats extraordinary quotes like Mandela’s response to his advisor telling him that the experts predict a loss for the rugby team: “the experts say we should still be in jail.” The mix of sports and politics seems like a winning combination, and having those two strong halves should strengthen the whole. There are simply so many things that have the potential to be excellent here, and the likelihood that all of them will be is actually pretty high. Even if everything isn’t absolutely stellar, at least some elements are bound to be memorable. Look for this film to do well at the Oscars also, and check back soon for a review.