Oh Shucks its Eastwood!

Its almost always as refreshing as downing a bottle of Palmolive shower gel when familiar stories are told by foreign voices. Only by the likes of Clint Eastwood’s genious-ness could the story of 1994 South Africa be told without having to showcase typical stereotypes of the rugby tackling, short pant-ed, beer boeped Dutchman chasing his counter parted black skinny, wide eyed taxi driver down the street with Leon Shuster like stupidity. Invictus was boring, but its hopeful celebration of the New South Africa will perhaps provide that extra little kick enjoyed by south Africans in preparation for 2010 and life beyond that.

Humor appears to be the most influential tool used to capture the South African audience. One needs to only recount the box office successes of Shuster’s “Mama Jack” to notice the nation’s embarrassing taste in humor. Unfortunately most south African laced award winners such as Tsotsi and District 9 draw their humor from producing stereotypes. Stereotypes are funny, but in a country with so much diversity I think stereotypes are more harmful than team building. I was reluctant to watch Invictus on that particular point as I was expecting to see, more than ever, the usual interplay between Jakkie Pretorious and Sipho. However I underestimated Eastwood’s original understanding of South African society as he was able to illustrate a very new “New South Africa”. Matt damon’s accent was believable and nothing like Leonardo Di Caprio’s overbaked accent in Blood Diamond. Morgan Freeman unsurprisingly managed to deliver a pleasantly angelic performance that would make Madiba himself give a little jig and there are some great shots of Cape Town that include the CTICC, which by the way, was only built after 1994, but I guess it may have been a tad expensive to rip down the modern building all in the name of “authenticity”. Eastwood is good, but not that good.

However much Invictus made me wanna stand up and hug a fellow South African, the story was slow and predictable. I doubt that this film will become one of Eastwood’s “million dollar babies” but I do recommend that in four years time when Invictus wins itself a spot on the SABC timeslot, you make sure you drop kick some boerewors unto the braai and seat yourself down to enjoy one of South Africa’s most memorable feel good stories.