"Justice will be made… Even if no one needs it"

Title: Griff The Invisible
Year: 2010
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director and Writer: Leon Ford
Runtime: 90min
Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Maeve Dermody, Marshall Napier
Produc.: Green Park Pictures, Screen Australia
Budget: $2.7 million approx.

In 2010, from U.S. soil came to us two films that dealt with the concept of what would happen if one day someone were to become a vigilante and fight crime on their own? That is, both, Kick-Ass and Super, started out from the premise that superheroes were a thing of fantasy, and that people such as Batman, Superman or Spider-Man could not ever exist. Well developed, this concept could have been innovative; however, none of these films had been taken the best course. Kick-Ass had not been anything but a more or less fun picture, with plenty of action, gunfire and explosions, in a sort of cocktail with nods to several other movies. As for Super, this had ended up being a hybrid misdirected, part drama and part comedy.

Nevertheless, we would have more than changing continent and go way down on the map to the australian territory, to meet the talented Leon Ford in his first time directing a feature film. And the good thing about Ford was that he was able to demonstrate his creative strength where the american products had failed. Griff the Invisible stands out mainly for having provided layered characters, and not stuffy. Characters that have been created and worked out in a way that you care and much, about following their developments throughout the entire film. Here the actors were certainly able to understand what the director wanted from them, making the viewer feel for them, no less than sympathy. Also, the dialogues written by Ford are not those full of spark, but that was not necessary, nor was the right thing, considering the type of characters he had in mind.

In Griff, the Invisible it is well known when to move to comedy and when to move on to other layers of the narratives, and deepen the understanding of Griff (Ryan Kwanten) and Melody (Maeve Dermody). Griff is an introverted loner, misunderstood by those who know him, but he possessed of a vision that makes him unique and special. Thus, when Griff and Melody met each other, thanks to his brother Tim (Patrick Brammall), the film will inevitably become the odyssey of self discovery of two extraordinary beings, given one´s psychological imbalance and the open-mindedness to new experiences of its equal. Thus, it is understandable and expected that one would feel imbued with these characters, to the point of wanting to know what will happen, and to want to follow, step by step, along that path that will lead them to have to collide with reality.

Leon Ford teaches us how more important is that his story cares about letting us know exactly who Griff is, and who Melody is, beyond the occasional fight scenes. Because for action and martial arts where already have other very capable filmmakers.

My rating: 9/10

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