Film "Invictus" triumphs on many levels

Sunday, December 13, 2009 NEW YORK: Academy Award winners Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman once again team up in a feature film, “Invictus,” the latest by the talented director Eastwood. Right there we should be expecting good things. I am happy to say that this movie does not fail to deliver.“Invictus” is a true story, based upon the events surrounding the political and cultural tribulations faced by South Africa around the time of Nelson Mandela’s election as its president. It was part of Mandela’s vision to ease fears and unify a splintered nation, in part, by focusing on the country’s rugby team in the World Cup Competition.Freeman was born to play this role. He is impeccable as the gentle, low-key Mandela whose warm and confident demeanor combines the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln with the visionary idealism of Mahatma Gandhi. The message here is one of forgiveness, of moving past old prejudices and patterns of oppression into the light of a loving and promising future.The film itself is low-key, as is the way it gets its message across. This, in a way, is ironic as the sport of rugby is not without its violent aspects. But the sport itself is not the focus as much as is the field of sports, which can be a great equalizer and remover of barriers. And it is Eastwood’s genius not to bash us over the heads with a message that would cause us to feel lectured to. That is where this movie shines.While those unfamiliar to the sport of rugby may have a bit of trouble following some of the film’s details, that shouldn’t deter anyone from attending this gem. The uplifting message is well worth the price of admission.

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India's swine flu death rate is increasing

Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...

Tennis: Clijsters wins US Open, second time

NEW YORK: Kim Clijsters of Belgium won the US Open on Sunday by defeating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-5, 6-3 in the final.She is the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong in 1980, the victory coming just five weeks after she returned to the sport following a 27-month retirement. She was the first wildcard, man or woman, to win a US Open title in the history of the tournament.

42 killed in wave of Iraq bombings

BAGHDAD: At least 42 people were killed and nearly 100 wounded in a spate of bomb attacks near the restive northern Iraqi city of Mosul and in the capital Baghdad on Monday, police said. In the deadliest single attack, two booby-trapped lorries exploded before dawn in the village of Khaznah, east of Mosul, leaving 25 people dead and 70 others wounded. Thirty-five houses were destroyed in the village, which is home to members of the tiny Shabak community, a sect of Kurdish origin. In Baghdad, two car bombs went off as day labourers were gathering in the early morning hours looking for jobs.The first bomb exploded at Hay al-Amel, in the west of the capital, killing nine people and injuring 46. The second bomb attack in Shurta Arbaa in the north of the city killed seven people and wounded 35 others.

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