The Invisible: Life, Death & Something In Between

I so wanted to see The Invisible when it was first released in theaters however being that there is an "us" versus a mere "me" in my life, it's a joint decision and he wasn't as intrigued as I.

Needless to say I was not happy to have to wait for this movie to be released on DVD. Yet no matter how many times I have watched it since the DVD release, I experience it for the first time each time, as subtle references and foreshadowing previously missed become exposed......

Though the trailers would lead you to expect more supernatural drama from this movie, I have to say I was in no means disappointed that it did not deliver; because what The Invisible did deliver was so much more. Anyone who has seen this movie and did not absolutely love it, obviously did not understand it. Or perhaps they simply prefer blood and guts and should have never seen this movie to begin with.

For starters, the soundtrack for The Invisible is startling effective. The songs lyrics supported the depth of the story line, enhancing the emotion of the viewer (maybe I should say enhancing the emotion of this viewer.) So often soundtracks leave you feeling a little detached from the movie; not meshing with the underlying message. This one kept me glued to each moment, without getting bored.

Secondly The Invisible's story line was plentiful. On the surface you have a situation of mistaken identity that results in a college bound student being unmercifully tortured and left for dead. As his body lies tethering on the brink of death, his spirit (or soul) attempts to reach out to the police and aid them in finding his body. He also tries to reach out to his mother, in an attempt to evoke some sort of emotion to validate that he mattered to her, as Nick is convinced he did not.

Which leads us into one of the sub-stories. Nick (played by seasoned actor Justin Chatwin) is a bright student with a promising future, but with the turmoil of losing his father at a young age and his mother's stoic demeanor to remain "strong," Nick feels "invisible" as he stumbles through a life he can't control. This is one of the many ironies of the movie as he does indeed become "invisible" when he is callously beaten and left to die.

Another sub-story is Annie, played by young Margarita Levieva. Annie is a scarred and troubled soul who has lost control of her life and deals with it by trying to control everything around her while trying to appear "invisible" in her exterior. It's this obsessive personality that ultimately drives her over the edge, resulting in her being the reason Nick has been left for dead.

Unfortunately The Invisible is a movie not without holes. Lose ends in Hollywood productions are always present it seems, and this movie certainly is no different in that respect. For starters there is Annie's father who "once was a cop" but now is simply detached from his life; then we have Annie's paroled boyfriend who ultimately turns on her and ends up shot himself; and of course Pete, Nick's friend responsible for Nick's untimely "demise;" who unsuccessfully attempts suicide as a release from his guilt.

The acting of Justin Chatwin and Margarita Levieva in this movie is incredible. They are extremely convincing in their roles, and produced a chemistry between them that is not easily found in movies of today. I realize I may be alone in my love affair with this movie but I felt what they felt; I hoped when they hoped; I cried when they cried. To me, that is what makes a good movie great.

There are a lot of comments on the web about viewers dissatisfaction with The Invisible because a scene from the trailer was deleted from the theatrical release. the missing scene featured an old man in a hospital window who saw Nick when no one else could. I've watched this scene as it is included on the DVD release (in the deleted scenes section for those who do not explore the DVD menu option.) I personally prefer the scene they utilized with a bird versus this one as it is definitely more symbolic and thought provoking in the message it was intended to deliver.

The Invisible is a movie that will make you think. It will make you draw certain conclusions for yourself versus laying them out for you. If this is not something you like in a movie, then definitely don't bother watching this one. But if you occasionally enjoy a movie with a story line as well as a plot, one that inspires you to ponder different hypotheses, then I highly recommend watching this one.

I'm very glad I did.