I'm not completely sure about the date but I'm thinking it was January 1st when we watched this.
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
John Carlin (book)
Starring: Morgan Freeman
Plot Synopsis
South Africa is very racially divided and Nelson Mandela being elected president only seems to add fuel to the fire. Being Nelson Mandela he wants to bring an end to this shiz. When he hears that the nation's rugby team The Springboks is going to be replaced with a new team he "spring(bok)s" into action. I'm sorry....I'm so sorry about that. Please don't hit me. Despite the team's suckiness the white population still support them mainly because it's part of their European roots. He knows that disbanding the team will only alienate and anger these people, furthering the divide. So he meets with Fancois, the captain of the rugby team, to try to motivate him into motivating his team into maybe thinking about trying to actually win enough games to get to the World Cup.
Review
I love Clint Eastwood. I love everything he's ever done. He drips sweat drops of perfection from his grizzled old face! I would have loved to see a Mandela biopic but I think this rugby junk made for a better movie. I'm American so I don't know anything about rugby. Is it like soccer-football only stupider? Also, I'm not proud to admit this, but I don't know much about Mandela either, except that he spent a long ass time in prison then became president of South Africa. The reason I like the rugby angle over the biopic is that it's relatable and it makes Mandela human instead of Super Jesus. (I stole that Jesus thing from Dylan Moran ) He seems like he could be your dad. Is that weird? I guess he just kinda reminded me of my dad and the way he likes football and baseball. I will never care about sports. I obsess over different things like movies and bands. I love Placebo like my dad loves The Greenbay Packers. People are passionate about sports, it unites people like nothing else. Finding out that someone supports the same team as you instantly makes you like them more. This movie shows Mandela's brilliance and humanity without having to resort to a heart wrenching tale of hard work and suffering. It's a rather simple but nonetheless passionate and uplifting story. If it wasn't true I would think it was cliche and corny. The fact that I don't care about sports that I know about, let alone rugby, and this movie made me care, is a testament to how good it is. Because it's not actually about the game it's about the importance of unity on a level that everyone can understand. Go see it! It's fucking brilliant.
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