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Ryan's latest foreign affair to hit the states is the decidedly quirky comedy Griff the Invisible, which is best described as magical realism's take on the superhero mythos. Or so it seems. Nervous, soft-spoken Griff (Kwanten) is a put upon office ...
You didn't hear it from me, but Ryan Kwanten, that hard-bodied blond boy who plays Jason Stackhouse on HBO's southern vampire romp True Blood, is Australian. You know the country that invented the Bloomin' Onion? He's actually from there! Not only that, Ryan is somewhat of a loyal Aussie, appearing in several homegrown films per year, like the excellent Red Hill, a modern Western I appreciate more with each passing month. Ryan's latest foreign affair to hit the states is the decidedly quirky comedy Griff the Invisible, which is best described as magical realism's take on the superhero mythos. Or so it seems.
Nervous, soft-spoken Griff (Kwanten) is a put upon office worker by day and high-tech superhero by night. With a visually striking suit, an array of neato gadgets and an iron will, he takes to the streets, beating villains to a bloody pulp before growling, "Stay out of my neighborhood." Griff's big brother Tim is convinced he's delusional, but Tim's new girlfriend Melody (Maeve Dermody) sees something more... a kindred spirit. Melody, easily the film's best character, fancies herself an experimentalist. She harbors parallel universe theories, earnestly attempts to pass through walls and proudly googles the word "google." More so, she wishes to be Griff's sidekick/outfitter, and fashions him a suit she guarantees will make him truly invisible.
The lion's share of the time, clarity is key in drama. While narrative ambiguity has its merits, allowing your audience to scratch their heads for too long is risky business. This is precisely what Griff the Invisible gets wrong. It is largely unclear whether or not what we're seeing is real. Are Griff and Melody delusional? If so, is that a conscious choice? Eventually, these questions are answered, but the solution is unrewarding. The story seems to end just as it begins, which is never a pleasant sensation for the viewer. Writer/director Leon Ford is a talented man with plenty of interesting ideas, but his script could've used a sizable tuneup.