Shot on location in South Africa!? Awesome!

Yes, especially if they hired below-the-line crew locally. Pretty sure they would have.

Freeman and Eastwood. that's a great fucking combination.

Seriously? Matt Damon looks nothing like Francois Pienaar (who sure as hell doesn't have chicken legs). I can buy him as a cricket-playing English schoolboy though.

I didn't hear much complaint about Frank Langella looking absolutely nothing like Nixon.

Point is, who cares? I'd rather have a good performance than a lookalike.

In SA rugby is not a sport it's a religion. SA Rugby is all about "no guts, no glory", toughness, absolute manliness, "never surrender", "keeping on fighting until the last breath". It is a game played by millions of SA men from the age of 4... and only the best of the best of the best will one day make it into the Springbok squad. These Springbok men are hailed as super men, heroes... the envy (although extremely highly respected) of all other SA men who didn't reach the ultimate dream of one day becoming a Springbok.

Matt Damon, don't let us down... don't insult our heroes with a poor performance.

definitely an interesting combination with freeman, clint and damon.

Gran Torino was the shit. Maybe this movie will get him the nominations he deserved with that movie. Man, Eastwood is like a machine when it comes to making movies, and the dude is 78!

He knows no other way. He's been making films all his life. He reminds me of that old train driver who keeps aging but knows the track so well, he'll drive it till the day he dies.

I think Matt Damon is an outstanding character (and a very versatile and talented actor.) "But on va uvver hand, Darren," I also understand the comments suggesting that he can't convincingly pull it off owing to the fact that that he doesn't look like Francois Pienaar (any more than Morgan Freeman resembles Madiba.) I'm interested to see how Hollywood can capture that moment in 1995. I had a lump in my throat watching that game live in Johannesburg, and follow-spotting P.J.Powers at the J.C.E. grounds concert after that match. I'll be surprised if I get the same lump in my throat again when I watch "The Human Factor." Can't wait to see the movie! It's a winning formula if it's done well.

Damn you have to give Eastwood some respect. He keep cranking out movies fast!!!

Your favorite actor's actor...

does /film have a staff? I thought it was more of a loose cabal of film geeks i could be wrong..

Wow that's great news for Gran Torino and Clint Eastwood. I knew when I was watching that film that it was going to be good but I didn't think it was going to do that well at the Box Office. I figured it was going to be another one of those films that suck at the Box Office but does really well at the Academy Awards. I guess I was wrong.

I'm glad Gran Tornio is getting some of it's due, it was very widely under praised and under appreciated.

I'm always down for whatever Eastwood's directing, this should be an interesting flick. Not sure about Damon though, I think he is a mediocre actor at best.

i have to disagree, while he may be hyped a little, he was sick in the departed and I dont mind his other movies, ill definitely check this out

Eastwood is on a roll, he's done 3 movies in less than a year, correct?

Amen to that.

I'll see anything that Eastwood directs and I'm really enjoying the roles Matt Damon has been taking as of late. Pretty excited about this movie since I do not know much about Mandella's life. Also, the success of Gran Torino is probably one of the most surprising successes seeing as Clint Eastwood as an actor has always catered to a niche demographic and at least in my life has never seen really garnered crossover appeal and box office success.

And the Oscar for Best Director goes to ....

"bringing the important story of Nelson Mandela to the world"???? Anyone who has access to google or a freshman history book can easily learn it. Plus, you know Mandella is going to be painted as a saint and some of the uglier things about him will be glossed over. And I dont have a distaste for everything Oscar recognizes nor do I have distaste for films that "have something more to deliver than the thrills of an action blockbuster". Quite the opposite. I simply am just tired of films being made because they have "awards potential" and touch upon certain themes and ideas that the filmmakers know will make the academy cum there pants.

anything eastwood does: ANYTHING...count me in.

As a devout rugby player and a devout fan of Eastwood and Damon... I can't wait for this. :-)

Just another oscar bait biopic. I have little interest in seeing this. I like the talent involved but I already know what I'm in for before I even enter the theater. I know what they'll play up and what they'll play down. there will be no suprises. Freeman will be touted for his astounding performance, Eastwood will get accolades for taking on such "brave" subject matter even though it's actually the most safe subject matter you could possibly find with Oscar voters.

I sure hope he makes at least 5 more movies before he kicks the bucket... pretty good success ratio right now

...and I suppose you're totally blind when you go to see an action film or a comedy? Like you have NO IDEA what is going to happen? But yeah, these 'Oscar bait biopics' are totally predictable and being made for all the wrong reasons. Instead of bringing the important story of Mandella to the world (and everything that story represents), do you suggest Eastwood stick to, like, I dunno... another Dirty Harry, perhaps? Because THAT would have you on the edge of your seat?

Freeman should be touted for his performance if it is as brilliant as you predict. What is so wrong with that? Likewise for any other role that fits the bill.

Get over the Oscar bait hang-up. It's pathetically sooky and a poor excuse for your apparent distaste in films that actually have something more to deliver than the thrills of an action summer blockbuster.

Great news, so for now nominated for best actor will be: Daniel Day-Lewis for Nine and Morgan Freeman for this movie.

awesome. Thanks to your incredible foresight now we dont even have to see anyone elses performances this year.

I'm looking forward to this movie. Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman are my two favorite actors!

I'm surprised there's so much support for Gran Torino on here. To be frank, it kind of sucked.

Agreed. I enjoy Clint Eastwood, but he was an awful caricature in Gran Torino, with all of that stupid growling. And many of the supporting cast delivered lines that fell flat or felt outright awkward.

Holy crap, Gran Torino is going to make more money than Watchmen and it only cost 30 million to make wheras Watchmen cost 150.

Hmmm...i bet there is no mention in the movie that the All Blacks were poisoned on the eve of the final...talk about being robbed by a bunch of Afrikaaner Rednecks!!

Mike, I bet you are a Kiwi? Just can't accept defeat can you? Always looking for excuses... food poisoning, altitude, the ref was unfair, bla bla bla... nobody cares about your sorryassness.

You just can't handle the fact that you were defeated by a bunch of "Afrikaaner Rednecks". What makes it worse for you guys are the fact that nobody gave South Africa any hope for even making it to the semis... where your All Black team were the favorites to take the World Cup. Plus, it was the first time South Africa was allowed to take part in the World Cup... and we won!

So you know what... take your food poisoning and all your other little pathetic excuses and you know where you can shove it...

O yes, Mike, one more thing... do you suppose the South African team poisoned the English team too on the eve of the 2007 World Cup final? Just wondering because we (South Africa) won that World Cup too!

Tell me, when was the last time that the "mighty" All Blacks won a World Cup... o yes... it was WAAYYYY back in 1987?

Puts things into a slightly different perspective doesn't it?

Heres some perspective for ya, from a fellow Yappie just like you:
What You Won't See in Invictus: There is a book written by Mandela's chief bodyguard who also went on to guard the All Blacks during the 1995 World Cup. Rory Steyn - One Step Behind Mandela. He has a whole chapter titled "The All Blacks and Food Poisoning." The final match was epic, but a film should have been made about the epic effort put in by a POISONED All Black side playing at HIGH ALTITUDE and almost winning. Indeed this same All Black side went on to beat this same Sprinkbok side 6 times out of the next 7 meetings. Please bear in mind, the All Blacks weren't food poisoned in those games, so it was hardly fair on the Springboks.

Rory Steyn writes: the "illness" which had swept through the team had a major impact on the All Blacks' preparation for the final. "I had to endure accusations of complicity in this, from New Zealand officials, and I was very angry that this was allowed to happen in my country - to people in my care," Steyn said.

Rory Steyn says the All Blacks were the best team in the competition - "against the Ellis' Park altitude and against food poisoning they ran South Africa close into extra time, so close."

"Laurie Mains, now the highly popular coach of the Cats(in 2000), says that he'll go to his grave wondering what would have happened if the All Blacks had not been sick," Steyn said in the book.

Mains employed a private investigator in an attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Steyn said the investigator reported back that a Far Eastern betting syndicate had paid a waitress called Suzie at the All Blacks' hotel to put something in their water.

"South African rugby fans remained sceptical of this theory and preferred to put it down to sour Kiwi grapes," Steyn said.

"To my fellow South Africans I want to say this: Stop all those cheap jokes about Suzie, the food poisoning and whingeing Kiwis. It happened. There is no doubt that the All Blacks were poisoned two days before the final.

"The All Black team never whinged about it. If anybody whinged it was their media and boy can they whinge."

"In fact the New Zealand team management took a decision not to use the poisoning as an excuse, not to even mention it."

This is an undisputed account from a credible South African. In interviews, the New Zealand team said they were moved to a separate dining room for that fateful meal only. They'd always dined with the public before and indeed after. This suggests a more orchestrated execution of a plan to sabotage New Zealand than some lone waitress named Suzie. Afterall the South African government has never been known for fair play.

I smell a sour All Black...

My guess is that you are probably a Kiwi supporter (pretending to be Saffa to make your BS argument relatively credible... I'm saying "relatively" because your argument might be credible to you, but it damn sure is NOT credible to me).

You know what one of the biggest marketing schemes for publishers are? Controversy. What better way to get a book sold than by riding the wave of an already controversial event. Inside information. Rory Steyn, the truth revealed. Rory Steyn: "It must be true, because I saw some of them (the ABs) not feeling to well and throwing up before the game... their food must have been food poisoned! I know this for a fact because I am a medical doctor and I am credible!" Ummmm... no wait, you are not a doctor... certainly takes away a lot of your credibility.

Your argument is based on; he thinks he saw this and they think they heard that... so it must be true. Conspiracy here and conspiracy there. blablablablablabla....

South Africa won fair and square... get over it, all the moaning in the world is not going to change that fact.

All Blacks once again proving themselves as Never-say-die Cry babies...

I would never try to impersonate a saffa, I'll leave that to Matt Damon. Perhaps you should read my post again. The perspective was from Rory Steyn, a japie just like you.
So now that I've cleared that up, your post requires no rebuttal as you've presented nonsense. Eric Rush on youtube, Colin Meads in print, and Rory Steyn all present the same exact story backing up what Laurie Mains has said for years. Plus video footage of players puking on the field.
However the past is the past, except when some knob goes and makes a movie about it, making the japies out to be heroes by beating a poisoned truly mulit-racial rugby team. This is when people should learn the facts. And if the movie is at all accurate in parts and the South African government was involved in winning the cup. It makes the poisoning operation and the manner it was executed more government related, and most likely nothing to do with the South African rugby union.
Try to keep your posts factual and somewhat reasonable backed up with searchable(via google) info.

Hey JP, I'm sorry the facility you're in has cut off your internet priveleges and you won't be talking to me anymore. How many years did you get for PKing that fellow against his will?

Anyway here is more perspective for you from Zinzan Brooke, cut directly from a 2003 UK Guardian article. Now don't go PKing your cell mate in anger.

Zinzan Brooke on 1995 WC final: As for what happened next, what can I say? We all felt we had plenty left to give in the final, but something was definitely done to us. Forty-eight hours before the big day and 18 of us, plus management, go down with food poisoning. That may be coincidence, but I don't think so. For every game before then we had made a point of eating in public restaurants to avoid being targeted. But in the week of the final we isolated ourselves in a private room. We had asked for our chef [a New Zealander] in Cape Town to be brought down to cook for us in Johannesburg, but the hotel management point blank refused. When we realised what had happened we thought about pulling out, getting the game postponed. However, we decided to use it to motivate us even more. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as we had hoped.

Even then, we still managed to get something out of what was done to us. Those who played that day made a pact that we would come back the next year and win the Test series. In eight attempts, no All Black side had ever managed that, but we did. END QUOTE.

They sure did crushing the very same Springboks in the next 4 matches even without Jonah Lomu who strangely had just been diagnosed with a rare kidney disease. Wait a minute, I wonder if it's possible being poisoned could actually damage a vital organ like a kidney? Do you have to be a doctor to figure that one out?

More Facts:
The All Blacks, although having the highest win rate of any National sports team ever, were not the favourites for the 1995 world cup. They were actually seeded no higher than 3rd, behind Australia, France and even England. The All Blacks had a terrible 1994, and the team's style & brilliance wasn't born until the 2nd half in Sydney vs Australia, when Gregan tackled a showboating Jeff Wilson over the try line, thwarting a great comeback. The All Blacks got better and better throughout the 1995 World Cup destroying all before them, that is until they were poisoned 2 days before the final. Another fact, backed up by Colin Meads(in print), Eric Rush(youtube), Laurie Mains(everywhere) & Rory Steyn(book).

I don't expect a Japie like JP to agree on these facts, as this info is only for the more objective readers who may have an interest in actual facts. Such as, South Africa was never the "bad news bears" team of the tournament. Being at home, and with there limited no risk style, they were always in the hunt for the cup.

Now I don't really like arguing with an obvious moron like yourself... but in the name of defending Springbok honour, I will attempt to converse with someone I would much rather like to PK (ask a Saffa what that means). You really are a cry baby... but please carry on trying to convince the world that the poor All Blacks were robbed and that the ANC devised a master plan to overthrow not only Apartheid but also the All Blacks in the 1995 WC. Do you have any idea how pathetically stupid you sound?

"Plus video footage of players puking on the field". Have you ever played a really intense rugby game? So intense that you actually get ill, aka throw up, on or next to the field? If you haven't' then you know JACK SHIT about rugby!

So you believe if there was a book written about it, an episode or two made about it, and it is searchable on Google (bwahahahahaha... you are amusingly stupid), then it must be true???

I not even going to talk to you anymore... because whatever I say you are going to disprove with information you Googled.... bwahahahahahaha!!!

Francois Pienaar is massively bigger than Damon. I hope they get the camera angles right! Ignore the NZ idiots and food poisoning nonsense - with them it's the ref, the food, whatever - cry babies! Clint will produce yet another great movie.

Rory Steyn - One Step Behind Mandela. Google it along with the key words "food poisoning". Imagine what would have happened if the boys hadn't been poisoned. Actually we don't have to imagine, just check what happened in 1996 in South Africa.

Yeah, because it wasn't like Marc Ellis and other subtitues were puking on the sideline during the game or anything (not that I think there food was tampered with or they were made sick on purpose or any of that trash, but they were sick as dogs that day)... and of course Wayne Barnes reffed a flawless game in 2007, no missed foward passes, bullshit sin binnings or letting the French camp on the All Blacks side of the ruck and use their hands to their hearts content or anything like that.

I sure hope my cousin Cyn gets Clint's autograph for me! Make my DAY!
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