In Stepford-like Seattle, An Outbreak of The
Others, With Signs of Jacob's Ladder
The Popcorn Reel Movie Review: "The Invasion"
By Omar P.L. Moore/August 16, 2007
There's nothing to see here: Nicole Kidman as Dr. Carol Bennell, without
a hint of emotion (or emoticons) witnessing a September 11, 2001 moment that
occurs during "The Invasion", directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and opening on
August 17. (All photos: Peter Sorel/Warner Brothers)
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With about 20 minutes to go an audience will erupt with laughter as Carol
Bennell (Nicole Kidman) advises her son Oliver (Jackson Bond) on what to
do during one of the penultimate moments of Oliver Hirschbiegel's film.
Until this point however, you can hear a pin drop amongst an audience held rapt
by the tension and suspense of an otherwise predictable film that plays things
safe.
Mr. Hirschbiegel delivers a few jolts in "The Invasion", another kind-of-a
remake of the original "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" from 1956, but jolts are
absent in its most critical moments. Nicole Kidman, compelling to a fault
in films like this and "The Others", which this new film lacks the ingenuity of,
is a psychiatrist who realizes that a city in Washington state (presumably
Seattle) is not only laid back -- it's downright catatonic. "Don't show
emotion," one passenger on a train advises Bennell. "The
Invasion", like several films this summer, attempts to be effective by working
in real-life events to build fear in its audience. This time, the
real-life event, the tragic 2003 crash of the U.S. space shuttle Columbia over
Texas, is re-named for "The Invasion" as the Patriot shuttle disaster.
Footage from the 2003 tragedy has been spliced into the film and manipulated in
much the same way as another Warner Brothers film, "Contact", (where scenes
involving then-U.S. president Bill Clinton were spliced into the narrative,
reportedly upsetting the commander-in-chief.) As a result of the crash, debris has fallen that looks
bizarre. Inevitably it comes into human hands, and from there . . .
Credit "The Invasion", which at times is an amalgam of such films as "The
Others", "The Stepford Wives" (the version in which Kidman herself starred),
"Signs" and even more closely "Outbreak", "THX 1138" and "Jacob's Ladder", for
taking the laugh factor out of the equation for substantial periods. "The
Invasion" clearly wants to be taken seriously even as it emerges more as a
parody in some instances. For over an hour, "The Invasion" has your
stomach in knots, and there are only a few moments to chuckle -- including a
"what is the world coming to moment?" -- where a television news bulletin
reports on some unlikely meetings of world leaders, and a new president of a
country currently in chaos arises. One interesting storyline regarding
Kidman's character could have been developed, but apparently was abandoned part
way through the film. Too bad, because "The Invasion" would have
flourished and thrived by traveling down this avenue, one which would have meant
a deeper emotional stake for the audience to invest in. Dave Kajganich's
screenplay (based on Jack Finney's novel) could have unearthed more subterranean
elements, digging beneath the surface to explore what kinds of things were
causing driving a community towards monotone, unthinking chaos. (Suburbia?
America? Fear? Loathing? Xenophobia? Emotion?
Immigrants from a wealth of other nations? Tourists?) One could
argue that the mystery and the lack of answers makes for a more inviting story,
but here the supposed intrigue rings hollow and is wanting.
Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Stephen Galeano, who plays a pivotal role in "The
Invasion".
In lieu of that, there are creepy and unexplained things going on in "The
Invasion", plus mass-media hysteria pumping more fear into an
already-fear-stricken public. There's a September 11, 2001 moment that
stuns and disturbs -- it appears to have been a near re-enactment of an incident
repeatedly aired on television on that fateful day. Some of the film's
visual effects and make up are noteworthy, but frequent views of molecular
biological structures and red and white blood cells changing is an unnecessary
touch for an audience which will be locked in to "The Invasion" without being
distracted by computer generated imagery of this kind. There is a
deliberate lurid green quality to some of the climactic scenes, and earlier
ones, which is due to some good cinematography from Ranier Klausmann and more
than decent production design values by Jack Fisk.
Daniel Craig tones his physicality down immensely for his role as Ben Driscoll,
a molecular biologist who is a close friend of Bennell's. That friendship
will be tested in more ways than one during the film, and you needn't watch "The
Invasion" to know how. (Kidman and Craig will appear together again in
roughly four months' time on the big screen, in "The Golden Compass".) The
top molecular biologist however, is Dr. Stephen Galeano, played by Jeffrey
Wright, whose character's impact will be more significant. That said, Mr.
Wright (who appeared with Mr. Craig in last year's "Casino Royale") should be
the recipient of more leading-role work (he shone brilliantly in the lead and
title role of "Basquiat" several years ago) but roles in Warner Brothers' summer
films where he is "reduced" to crossword-puzzle expert or biologist, seem to
trap rather than augment him as the impressive actor that he is. Such
roles are positive, but they do not give him the opportunity to flourish beyond
their inevitable constraints. As such, Mr. Wright's ability as an actor
isn't necessarily tested in either here or in Mr. Shyamalan's "Lady In The
Water". Last summer's "Lady", where Wright was the crossword puzzle
genius, saw him muted.
"The Invasion" has its flaws, but this scene with Dr. Carol Bennell (Nicole
Kidman) shows off an impressive blend of good cinematography and production
design.
In "The Invasion", the more interesting roles are assigned to Roger Rees
("Falling For Grace") as a charismatic and philosophical Russian diplomat, and
Jeremy Northam ("The Net") as Tucker, Bennell's ex-husband. There are some
unevenly edited sequences (by Hans Funck and Joel Negron) throughout the film,
though one cannot decide whether the disjointed aspect of "The Invasion" is
intentional, or simply a case of not-so-proficient editing. (Much of "The
Invasion" was filmed in 2005, and some as recently as early 2007.)
Hirschbiegel uses a number of tracking shots reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick
(whom Kidman worked with in his final film "Eyes Wide Shut" in 1999) and also
employs some Hitchcockian filming of labyrinth and maze-like corridors and
spirals that are also flashy and effective. Shots of the Seattle subway
train system and a highway tunnel are also visually stunning, shot with a golden
honey yellow tinge that suggests fear.
Nicole Kidman is oh-so good at playing peril. She again is convincing, as
she was in "Dead Calm", and the aforementioned "Others". She can be sexy
doing so, and Mr. Hirschbiegel's camera provides us occasional glimpses and
reveals of her attractive and slender body. But the eye-candy allure, as
good as it might be here, thankfully does not distract viewers from some of the
genuine fear they witness in the film.
Un-dead calm: Kidman over Daniel Craig's shoulder, and in a Seattle subway train
with fellow un-hypnotized and fearful passengers, in "The Invasion".
Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman confront a startling event in "The Invasion",
directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. The film marks the German director's
English-language debut.
For what it's worth, "The Invasion" could be seen as a thrilling and unsettling
satire of the modern world of fear and unexplained phenomenon, or as a metaphor
for an American public entranced, enraptured and controlled by material things.
Think, for example, of how much more enjoyment one could have had watching an
entire community walking around trancelike, emotionless and disconnected from
other humans, with I-Pods tethered to their ears, or Blackberrys stuck to
fingertips, or cell phones glued to ears. Think about a cell phone or
I-Pod virus that strikes the hearts of its users, turning them into unthinking,
un-emoting creatures. Steve Jobs of the Apple company, and cell phone
makers and providers might not be too happy about the implications of such a
story, but at least it could generate a palpable everyday fear that is more
real, identifiable and immediate -- the type of fear that Mr. Hirschbiegel's
film, his first in the English language -- could have used more of.
"The Invasion" is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America
for violence, disturbing images and terror. The film's duration is one
hour and 34 minutes. With Celia Weston, Josef Sommer and Veronica
Cartwright. The film is produced by Joel Silver.
Copyright The Popcorn Reel. PopcornReel.com. 2007. All Rights
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