Looks like the report was on the money, Clint Eastwood’s Nelson Mandela ruby-drama, once titled, “The Human Factor” is now officially titled “Invictus,” and is set for a December 11 release.
The film which — also stars Matt Damon as the South African rugby captain who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Mandela (Morgan Freeman); the duo uniting a nation through an underdog Rugby World Cup run a year after apartheid ended — will go head to head with Peter Jackson’s “The Lovely Bones,” and presumably both films will roll out in slow, Oscar-building limited release campaign much like Eastwood’s “Gran Torino” last year.
Btw, all those that scoffed at old codger, ‘Torino’? It had one of the best profit margins of 2008 costing $33 million to make and raking in over $148 million in the U.S. alone (another $112 million overseas for a whopping $260 million worldwide total). Let’s not forget he released two films last year too with “Changeling.” Do not count Clint out.
‘Bones’ is based on the popular Alice Sebold novel about a young girl (played by Saoirse Ronan) as a spirit in heaven as she struggles between her dichotomous desires for vengeance against her murderer and wishes for her family to grieve and rebuild their lives. The film also stars Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci. In Contention recently wrote on ‘Bones” potential citing that the novel is “weighed down by a maudlin, sometimes lurid literary sensibility that could benefit from the more interpretive route of visual storytelling” and that any silver screen adaptation would require a “subtler hand than Sebold’s to move into the realm of art.” Whether or not Jackson can address such issues remains to be seen.
Early test screenings reviews for ‘Bones’ have thus far been mixed though negativity in the reviews seems to surround editing room issues rather than anything substantial. Ronan’s performance as the lead, Susie Salmon, has also been garnering strong word.
Eastwood’s “Invictus,” meanwhile, is still currently in production though its Oscar potential predominantly stems from its helmer’s history and the film’s subject rather than any strong buzz. Last season, Eastwood’s “Changeling” earned Oscar nominations in the best actress, best cinematography and best art direction categories while “Gran Torino” gained significant critical acclaim (and $$$) despite being ignored by the Academy.
Both films are sure to stir up the awards season this December whether that be that they rise to become contenders or fall to be pretenders. Either way, December 11th will be a big date for the 2010 awards – mark it down in your diaries. Looks like we finally have something substantial to talk about Oscar-wise. – Simon Dang