6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Griff, a shy and awkward office worker by day, finds escape from his ordinary life by assuming the identity of a fantastic superhero each night. Griff's secret is jeopardized when he meets Melody, a cute but unconventional daydreamer. She quickly becomes fascinated by his idiosyncrasies, which are equal only to her own. In the face of mounting pressure to live in the "real world," it's up to Melody to rescue Griff for the sake of herself, Griff and their new found love for each other.
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Maeve Dermody, Marshall Napier, David Webb (I), Patrick BrammallComedy | 100% |
Romance | 31% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Someday some doctoral thesis candidate is going to write a long, involved tome about the cultural zeitgeist of the early 21st century which gave birth to so many films about hangdog Everymen who become crime fighting superheroes. While Kick-Ass and Super are probably the best known of this seeming new subgenre, the fact that the Australians are in on the game may portend something more global as being in the air. Griff the Invisible is a frequently charming, albeit extremely odd, 2010 Aussie film starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) as the titular superhero, a mildmannered customs liaison by day and a spandex suited crime fighting superhero by night. Or is he? While the most obvious antecedents to this film may indeed be Kick-Ass and Super, those with longer memories may be reminded of the old Danny Kaye vehicle The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, based on the iconic James Thurber story, or in fact in a way of the equally iconic though completely different Paddy Chayefsky classic Marty, the film that improbably walked away with both the Best Picture and Best Actor (Ernest Borgnine) Oscars (along with Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay) the year it was released. For though Griff the Invisible purports to be yet another film about a lackluster-by-day, spectacular-by-night guy, the film is in reality a subtly veiled look at two misfits trying against all odds to find their own way in a world that savors conformity and just doesn’t quite know what to make of outcasts. Because of this sleight of hand, some people may feel cheated by Griff the Invisible’s ultimate denouement (one that I will attempt to not spoil, though it will be extremely difficult), wondering why this film isn’t just another carbon copy of the general outline followed by Kick-Ass or Super. But that’s the point, as ironic as it may be: Griff the Invisible, the film, is as idiosyncratic and non-conforming as Griff the character is. If you can relax and settle into this little film’s odd rhythms and even odder assortment of characters, there’s a lovely and even touching experience to be had, one that will speak to any underdog (hey, there’s an idea for a superhero!) who has ever been bullied or shunted around by the vagaries of a nine to five existence that demands absolute allegiance to some amorphous “norm.”
Griff the Invisible is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Vivendi Entertainment and Indomina Releasing with a VC-1 encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The bulk of this film looks spectacularly sharp, with robust and very well saturated color. Ford exaggerates the palette here repeatedly, with Griff for example donning a bright yellow raincoat that blends perfectly in with a saffron colored background. A lot of the film features some beautiful teals and turquoises, but in fact the entire spectrum here looks largely magnificent. Fine detail is exceptional, especially in the film's many close-ups. What keeps the film from receiving a higher score is the very transitory but puzzling digital noise that swarms over a few scenes, and interestingly not even scenes set at night or in the dark. One interchange between Melody and her mother late in the film looks like it's been beset with small swarms of fleas or somesuch insects. It's an odd anomaly, and one that only happens a time or two, but it's a puzzling situation in an otherwise extremely solid looking transfer.
Griff the Invisible's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix is very artfully constructed, with a nice array of song score tunes provided by a variety of artists like Au Revoir Simone. The songs are very well chosen, if occasionally a bit on the obvious side ("Take Me as I Am"), but they sound great and help to routinely fill the surrounds with activity. While the bulk of this film is actually rather quiet and dialogue drivien, a couple of exciting action sequences feature some impressive directionality and great immersion. Fidelity and dynamic range are both top notch, with the overall mix doing a very nice job of balancing between the more introspective worlds of Griff and Melody and the cacophony of the "real world."
If you can get past the surface deep comparisons to Kick-Ass and/or Super, you'll probably enjoy Griff the Invisible a lot more than otherwise. The film has issues and is obviously the work of a writer-director still feeling his way. Structure here is the main bugaboo, with scenes that don't make a lot of sense and weird lurches in motivation and character development. But these problems are largely offset by an inherent charm which Griff the Invisible offers in abundance. While there are a couple of niggling concerns with regard to the video, overall this release looks and sounds great, and it's certainly a unique property that should appeal to those "different" among us. Recommended.
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