As coincidences go, I found this one rather cool. I got two movies in from Netflix recently and decided to watch them both today. When the second one started, I realized they both had Morgan Freeman in the cast. They were, in the order I watched, The Big Bounce and Invictus. There couldn’t be two less alike movies, and I am glad I saw them in that order.
The Big Bounce was cute, but weak. Owen Wilson played a small-time crook and it featured a pretty big list of A-list actors – Morgan Freeman, Charlie Sheen, Gary Sinise and was filmed in Hawaii. You can see the appeal of signing on for a lame film – talk about a paid vacation.
Rent it if you are the one true Owen Wilson fan – rent it if you want something to play in the background while you do your taxes – rent it if you have no taste. If not, skip it.
Okay, it may not be that bad, but it isn’t very darn good.
RATING 5 out of 10
The next one was a much better film – Invictus starring Mr. Freeman and Matt Damon. Invictus chronicles the parallel stories of Nelson Mandela’s first months as President of South Africa and the Springboks, their national rugby team. Clint Eastwood does a masterful job of directing. He is able to set the scene of a country struggling to unite after years of Apartheid rule and still show the humanity of the individuals involved.
Being an American, I really knew little about this time in the history of South Africa. As a film goes, it does more than just educate however, it evokes emotion around every turn. Oh yeah, and there is a very good sports story intertwined throughout. One of Clint’s great jobs as director and one of Morgans great jobs as actor. Very good stuff.
RATING 8 out of 10
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