Bluesnfire401 Review of The Invisible

The Invisible (2007)

Totally misleading trailer, and the movie would still be bad regardless...

[1/10 · 30 April 2007]

This movie was a big disappointment for a number of reasons. As iterated in other comments, the trailer contains footage and story elements that are entirely absent from the film itself (i.e. the old man in the hospital gown telling the protagonist he has a limited amount of time to solve his own murder). Although this IN ITSELF doesn't make it a bad film, I think it's symptomatic of a much deeper problem, namely, it doesn't seem like anybody working on this film had a really solid and cohesive sense of what the film was about or how all the parts fit together. The trailer footage being absent from the film is evidence to me that the film was just sort of thrown together haphazardly and without any thought. This is potently felt while watching it. Also, as noted by other reviewers, the characters were totally one dimensional, surfacey, and straight up archetypes completely lacking in any development, depth, or uniqueness. To me, it seems like a really bad indie film that somehow got a lot of funding and made it into the mainstream market: we have the poetry writing, leather messenger bag carrying, road-bike riding protagonist who wants to be a writer (shocking!) and of course the corresponding mother who is obsessed with making her son into an upstanding, upper-class citizen and just doesn't get him. And we have the token "indie" soundtrack to complement our protagonist's adventure. In fact, the movie struck me as little more than a forum with which to showcase the filmmaker's knowledge of cool "indie" bands. I feel like I can't really make any comment on the acting because, honestly, I can't imagine any actors or actresses who would be able to give this film the animation and depth that it so sorely lacks. In short, save your money and your time, and don't see it. If you're just really curious and have to see it, rent it once it comes out on video. I admit, the trailer looked awesome and you can't blame anyone for wanting to see it based on that. But the fact is that the movie just doesn't live up (in quality...or even in basic plot!) to the trailer.