tMF | The Movie-Fanatic

Invictus, already considered an Oscar hopeful, will feature the latest collaboration between Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman. Freeman will play the role of South African leader Nelson Mandela, while Matt Damon is the leader of the football team, and together they will face a challenge that will decide their country's future. It was set during the time Mandela was the President of South Africa and apartheid has just been abolished.

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If you recall, Eastwood directed the Oscar winning 'Million Dollar Baby' with Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank. All three won the Oscars for the said movie. Eastwood got the Best Director, Swank grabbed the Best Actress and Freeman won the Best Supporting Actor.

Oscar buzz on Invictus and the cast and crew after the jump!

Christopher Campbell at Spout compiled a good number of impressions from top movie bloggers and Oscarwatchers, with an overwhelming positive response to the film's Oscar chances:

With ten spots available this year for potential Best Picture nominees, it's been easy to consider every other new movie a candidate for the top Oscar. But for every pundit who believes something like Up or The Hurt Locker or, now, This Is It, is a shoo-in for a nomination there is an opposing argument available for why each of these films might not get the Academy's votes. Finally, there's at least one title that can not possibly be denied: Clint Eastwood's Mandela and rugby movie, Invictus. [ read more ]

Among the reactions, here's one worth noting:

A comparison is now already out in the open between Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio:

I have a bad feeling that after watching this trailer a lot of people are going to compare Damon's accent to Leonardo DiCaprio's in Blood Diamond. You don't get to hear it much in this trailer, but it's not horrible, it's just not as pronounced. [ Krystal Clark at ScreenCrave ]

DiCaprio also sported a foreign accent in Blood Diamond, the same film which gave him his 3rd Oscar nomination.

The two actors, who was last seen together in Scorsese's The Departed, remains two of the most sought-after actors today and are rivals in the truest sense of the word.

When Damon was nominated for his role in Good Will Hunting, the Academy snubbed DiCaprio, who was exceptional in Titanic, and was the only lead cast not nominated for an award. Damon went on to win the Best Screenplay, together with Ben Affleck, but failed to grab the Best Actor trophy. However, Damon won the Silver Berlin Bear (Outstanding Single Achievement) for his performance.

If Shutter Island was not re-scheduled for 2010, it could have been another Oscar battle for the two... probably, that is!

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What's on your mind? What can you say about the Invictus trailer? Do you think the movie will produce Oscar-caliber performances from Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon? Let us know what you think!
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