Review of The Invasion (2007) by Filipeneto — 29 Nov 2021

Well, I know this movie didn't appeal to a lot of people, but I can only speak for myself and from my perspective. Only now, after some reading, I realized the existence of an older movie, that this one ends up being the remake. I will see him as soon as possible, I was curious, but for now I can't compare them. For me, this film was quite pleasant, fulfilled its role of entertainment with panache and even seems to me a current and pertinent film, considering that a pandemic is, in fact, a more present theme in our lives today than when the movie was released (unfortunately).

The film has an interesting script, although I may eventually raise questions that mainly hinder its credibility and verisimilitude: an almost instantaneous transmission of a virus that leaves us altered during sleep and allows an invasion by an alien consciousness…? It sounds strange, unbelievable, and there are times when logic is put at great risk, but I ended up putting that into perspective. Harder to ignore were the cliché or theatrical moments, as well as the general lack of quality of the dialogue.

The cast is led by two strong, well-known actors… despite their talent, the actors' overall performance was hampered, in my opinion, by the undemanding direction of Oliver Hirschbiegel. Nicole Kidman needs no introduction and is very talented, but this film is not one of her best works and I felt that the material she was given didn't give the actress anything challenging… the result is a performance perhaps too comfortable, lazy. At his side, Daniel Craig, still in a pre-007 phase of his career, but already showing strength and commitment. The two are helped by a vast supporting cast that includes names like Jeffrey Wright or Veronica Cartwright, but neither has the space nor opportunity to do more.

Technically, it's a movie with a lot of pros and cons. The cinematography is really great, elegant, with excellent colors and an intelligent mastery of shadows and light to create the right ambience for each scene. Special effects, visuals and sound are an essential part of this movie, which has a strong sci-fi component. There is a large investment in these effects, but the result achieved is frankly good. On the other hand, the film has a soundtrack that doesn't stay in the ear and seems weak, the editing seems to have been done in a hurry and the film is very long and could have been cut or shortened in several places without prejudice to what we're going to appreciate.