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The Invisible (2007)
Save your money...
'The Invisible,' directed by 'Batman Begins' screenwriter David S. Goyer, starts out on an interesting premise: After suffering a horrific attack, Nick Powell (Justin Chatwin) is forced to wander the world in a state of limbo in an attempt to save himself. After realizing his time is limited, Nick must put his life in the hands of the one person who may be able to hear what he's saying.
Nick is the main character, who is a pretty likable kid. A skilled writer who considers attending a writing course in London, and changing his mind turns out to be the worst decision of his life. He has a loving relationship with his mother, though it seems strained at times, not partly due to the death of Nick's father. Annie (Margarita Levieva) is a girl Nick's age in school, who is both his potential doom and potential savior at the same time. Nick's best friend is Pete, played by Chris Marquette. Pete is another character who makes the wrong decision with near-fatal consequences, although it isn't his life he puts in danger.
The potential of 'The Invisible' quickly goes sour, though. The Annie character is a perfect example of a cliché in cinema. Annie instigates the savage beating on Nick, and throughout the film consistently does things that simply make the viewer not care about her. She is the archetype school bully, and a petty criminal. Director Goyer constantly shoves it down our throats that we should feel sorry for Annie. What he fails to explain however, is why. She clearly has a difficult relationship with her father, even at one point threatening his life. This is yet another 'why' that eludes us though, as throughout the movie, he is never once seen as a bad father. He never abuses her in any way, even taking Annie's side in an argument with his girlfriend, and only raises his voice to her once he sees that she is a murder suspect. 'The Invisible' also shows us that this town has what have to be the most inept police officers in the history of film. Annie is a #1 suspect in Nick's disappearance, and is being sought after by every cop in the city, yet is for some reason able to travel anywhere she wants undetected, including Nick's bedroom. The icing on this cake is an escape from certain arrest that makes Billy the Kid's in 'Young Guns' seem realistic. The change in relationship between Nick and Annie as the movie goes on is equally forced and in no way enjoyable.
'The Invisible' is not without its positives though. Despite bad storytelling, Goyer does draw good performances out of his actors. Levieva is by no means a bad actress, but a good actress playing a bad character. Also of note is Chris Marquette, who through this film, 'Girl Next Door' and 'Alpha Dog,' seems to have perfected both the role of friend and helpless bystander. Levieva and Chatwin do a good job as two people who each see how their lives could have been, if only one thing had gone differently. These things though, are not enough to save very weak directing and character/plot development.
Overall, 'The Invisible' is not worth paying money to see. The fact that it begins with such promise only makes the decline in story that much more disappointing.
Suicide Kings (1997)
Good film
Four twentysomethings decide that desperate times call for desperate measures. After Avery's (Henry Thomas) sister is kidnapped, they hatch a plan to do a little kidnapping of their own. The man they pick is Carlo/Charlie (Christopher Walken), a retired mobster who they suspect can 'use his contacts' to free the girl. Charlie's motivation to help, in addition to not being killed, is that he will be returned to his home in the exact same condition that Elise Chasten is returned home in. The man in charge is Bret (Jay Mohr), who hatches the plan and plays the role of 'bad cop' for most of the movie. T.K. (Jeremy Sisto), a fledgling med student, monitors Charlie's health and provides the voice of reason in many instances. Also along for the ride is Max Minot (Sean Patrick Flanery), Avery's pal and Elise's fiancé. The group brings Ira (Johnny Galecki) in on the plan only after he agrees to let them use his parents' summer home for the night. The man responsible for recovering Charlie is Lono (Denis Leary), his driver. As time winds down, the boys' inexperience becomes more and more apparent ('you didn't think this through too good, did you? Charlie once comments), and Charlie's ever-worsening health becomes a major cause for concern. It's only a matter of time before Charlie decides to help the kids out, and he plays them against one another by showing them that the kidnappers may be much closer to home than they could have imagined.
Suicide Kings is a good film not because of the big names, but because of those who have since become big names. Christopher Walken plays the same kind of character that made Christopher Walken famous, and Denis Leary plays the same kind of character that made Denis Leary famous. Who really shines in this film is Jay Mohr. His performance as Bret showcases his true talent. He makes the character into someone who is so sure he's right, you wonder if it isn't him behind the curtain pulling the strings. Jeremy Sisto turns in another solid performance as T.K. As the man keeping Charlie alive, and the first one to have any real conversation with the mobster, T.K. spends most of the movie with information that could tear the entire operation apart, while at the same time trying to keep cool and keep his friends cool. Johnny Galecki as Ira is also worth noting. Ira is the runt of the group, not a little spineless, and is eager to constantly remind Charlie that he had nothing to do with the kidnapping. Flanery and Thomas are good as well, but not the kind of good that makes you think only they could have pulled the roles off.
Overall, Suicide Kings is an imperfect, but still enjoyable movie. There are times when you're sure you've figured it out, only to find yourself second-guessing minutes later. With equal bits of comedy, drama and thriller, Suicide Kings is no waste of time.
The Calcium Kid (2004)
Great, underrated little film
I first saw 'The Calcium Kid' at the end of 2004, and have since bought the DVD. This movie is very underrated, with great performances from a mostly-unknown-outside-of-the-United-Kingom (at the time) cast. The film begins a week before a much-anticipated title fight between World Champion Jose Mendez (Michael Pena-Crash) of the United States and the undefeated British challenger Pete Wright (Tamer Hassan-The Football Factory). Wright is injured while sparring with Jimmy Connolly (Orlando Bloom), a milkman who is yet to have his first fight. Fearful of losing his chance at fame, Wright's manager Herbie Bush (Omid Djalili) replaces Wright with Connolly without telling Mendez or his take-no-prisoners manager, Artie Cohen (Michael Lerner-Barton Fink). The fight gains huge amounts of publicity due to the unusual nature of it, and the days preceding the fight send Connolly spiraling from underdog hopeful to fascist and everywhere in between.
Orlando Bloom is great in his performance as Jimmy Connolly. I think it is his best yet, in fact. As the leading man, he shows his skills at comedy, and is free from being overshadowed by the ensemble cast of Lord Of The Rings and Pirates Of The Caribbean. His reactions to the situations he finds himself in over the days before the big fight are priceless and pulled off realistically. Bloom, acting outside his normal period piece roles, proves that he can pull off many a different role.
Tamer Hassan is also great as the disgruntled Pete Wright. Despite his attempts to publicly humiliate Connolly and Bush, you really feel for his situation. Having the chance of a lifetime taken from you by a milkman is enough to set anybody off, and Hassan does the role justice in a hilarious way.
The Calcium Kid features great performances all around, such as those I've already mentioned, as well as Michael Pena, Michael Lerner and Omid Djalili. Look for supporting roles by Rafe Spall and Billie Piper as well.
Lastly, something must be said of first time writer/director Alex De Rakoff. The script is hilarious, and the mockumentary-style directing are spot-on. I only hope this is the first of many for De Rakoff.
To conclude, The Calcium Kid is one of the funniest films I've seen in a long time. Not only that, but Bloom's performance really makes you want to see his character pull off the upset of a lifetime. See this film; you will not be disappointed.