Review of Griff the Invisible (2011) by Spencer S — 27 Jun 2012

An Aussie comedy starring True Blood's Ryan Kwanten, Griff is a pragmatically kooky film with little consideration for plot or character development. Instead it tries to contain its quirky attitude by subverting the superhero genre once more, adding to the list that includes Defendor and Super.

It's less of a superhero genre and more of an indie romantic comedy. The superhero aspect of the plot is simply to deviate from the character's oddity up front. At first it seems to fit well within superhero fair, including big fights, large equipment, and even a latex costume.

Still, it's supposed to be about a man with complex imaginatory powers and a woman with the same freakish demeanor. Griff seems to be too psychologically damaged to make sense as a male lead, and his imagination swells the entire film in a fog of uncertainty.

For a large portion of the film I wasn't sure if he really did possess all the capabilities of a hero or if it was a part of his psyche. It's always nice to see the lonesome protagonist fight the odds by being a force of goodness while staying in the shadows, but here it's just more embarrassment and shame.

Of course, even if he was the hero, he would be atypical since he keeps to himself and acts senselessly. At the same time his brother is dating a strange woman who meets Griff unexpectedly and she becomes the love interest.

Their antics together, and their shared neurosis makes for the rest of the plot, which winds into obscurity and delineates quickly from the beginning. By the very end it's clear that it's cute and charming in places, but overall it's also convoluted, complicated, and formulaic as well.

The performances from everyone, especially Kwanten and Dermody, were dramatically sound. I found the leads to be realistically strange and yet sympathetic to each other, nearly symbiotic with their co-dependency.

A great love story in the cutest sense.