Superhero characters have become a mainstay of American blockbusters as the canon of Marvel, DC and other comic books/magazines are plundered for characters, storylines and inspiration.
Big budget in nature and expectation, such films have become the mainstay of Hollywood studios as Batman, Spider-Man, Superman et al provide the staple for summer cinematic fare.
Griff the Invisible is not a Hollywood blockbuster – it is instead low-budget and arguably the first Australian film to tackle the superhero genre, although in reality it is as much a romantic comedy-drama, an offbeat tale celebrating the point of difference.
Griff the Invisible – the plot
Griff is a quiet and meek customer service client liaison clerk with a Sydney shipping agent. His nature makes him an easy target for a loud-mouthed, bullying colleague.
But by night, Griff is a troubled (aren’t they all?) superhero, fighting crime and injustice on the local streets. A complicated computer system rigged up at his home allows the lonely Griff to keep abreast of police activity in his neighbourhood.
Lonely, that is, until he meets Melody. She’s the ‘girlfriend’ of brother Tim, a strange scientist fascinated by the lining-up of particles within the human body that, if aligned correctly, would allow her to move through solid objects.
Melody is much more attracted to Griff than the gruff, ‘straight’ Tim. The two are isolated beings in their kookiness and eccentricities. Together they are more attuned in their difference. Overcoming Griff’s initial reluctance, Melody helps him develop an invisibility cloak to wreck revenge on the office bully.
Not all is as it seems. This is not a film where Melody spends overlong hours in a science laboratory testing formulas to prove her theory. A notepad, a pencil and a warm bedroom at her parents’ suburban home are all she needs. A large table in an otherwise empty kitchen is a dominant character in the unfolding relationships between Griff, Tim and Melody.
Instead, the film evolves in its quiet intensity, validating difference and celebrating imitation and imagination. It’s bizarre, it’s oddball, it’s offbeat: and, with superb understated performances by Kwanten and, especially Maeve Dermody, almost believable.
In its attempt to subvert the superhero genre conventions, Griff the Invisible does occasionally go off the rails. It takes itself a little too seriously in the first quarter of the film, failing to emphasise the artifice. The result is that it has alienated audiences early in the film, struggling (if at all) to win them over.
But ultimately, Griff the Invisible is a charming dramedy and love story.
Personal rating: 3 stars
Griff the Invisible
- Directed by Leon Ford (Katoomba, The Mechanicals – both short films)
- Written by Leon Ford (Rush – TV, Katoomba)
- Produced by Nicole O’Donohue (Katoomba, The Mechanicals)
- Starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood – TV, Red Hill), Maeve Dermody (Beautiful Kate, Black Water), Marshall Napier (Babe, McLeod’s Daughters – TV)
Keith Lawrence - Published writer of articles in magazines, newspapers and websites, predominantly on culture, alongside ghostwriter/editor/copywriter.
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