Invincible

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Summary

This is a decent film version of the story of Vince Papale, who with only some High School experience played with the Philadelphia Eagles for three seasons. This isn't a football movie, it's a character piece. If you're into feel good movies, go for it. But don't expect much.

Notes and Details

The movie is shot in variations of over saturated sepia-tinted shots meant to communicate the down and out nature of the Philadelphians of the time. Papalel is to become their hero by becoming the every man who represents them in their sacred game of football.

The film is fiercely blue collar in a way that I find... unfortunate because it depicts a self-destructive culture. The men in the film that form the backdrop for Papalel's triumph are down and out. They struggling with employment, union issues, domestic issues. The idea that one of their number getting a job on a football team helps them is something I find a bit patronizing.

It's not the point of the movie at all, but the film really plays up the idea of amusement in the classical sense. Don't question the society that's shitting on you. Don't question your station in life. Just suck it up and, oh, by the way, here's a bit of spectacle to watch on the weekend to keep you distracted. The fact that people willingly buy into it makes it all the more sad.

I want to see people do better. I want to see their lives improve. It's a personal thing for sure, but I found all the threads in the movie that work against that betterment to be quite distracting.