It would seem that this little-film-that-could has achieved a history-making milestone. It’s Australia’s first and only superhero movie in living memory. (Australian filmed Superman Returns doesn’t count being the Hollywood behemoth it was.)
But bog standard superhero movie, Griff the Invisible ain’t. It’s a quaint beast of superhero caper, fantasy, comedy and eccentric romance, with a message. Nor is it your typical Australian fair. It’s commercially minded yet independent, genre driven and ambitious, with a concept and approach that sits way outside the square. What’s more, it’s not depressing, cringe-worthy or art-house. In other words, totally un-Australian when it comes to the pervading perception of this country’s output.
True Blood’s resident randy stud Ryan Kwanten catapults stereotype as Griff, an introverted, painfully awkward outsider with, you guessed it, a secret identity. By day, he’s a yellow-raincoat-clad office drone at a shipping company, daily harassed by resident office bully Tony (Toby Schmitz, Somersault). By night he’s the masked, rubber-clad eponymous vigilante who kicks crims to the curb. Griff’s superhero persona gives him pluck and confidence, his life meaning and excitement. But is it all a delusion?
Griff (Ryan Kwanten)
Griff’s brother Tim (Hawke’s Kim Beazley, Patrick Brammall) worries about his increasing detachment to reality, a concern magnified when he introduces his pretty girlfriend Melody (Maeve Dermody, Beautiful Kate) to Griff. Melody, a brainy, pratfall-prone “experimentalist” who believes she’ll one day walk through walls, sees a kindred spirit in Griff and it’s a sure-fire case of eccentrics attract. But will conformity or anomaly win the day?
No prizes for guessing which. Griff is a film that celebrates difference, compassion and acceptance, a film with a heart and a brain. It posits that the quirky perspective of the eccentric outsider should be as valid as everyone else’s. Sure, it’s an idealistic, unrealistic notion laid on pretty thick but it’s a refreshing take none the less.
Actor/director Leon Ford (Beneath Hill 60) makes an impressive debut bringing his creative screenplay to life lovingly and with a lot of panache. He and his team have achieved an evocative production design and high production values despite a reportedly thrifty budget.
Melody (Maeve Dermody) and Griff (Ryan Kwanten)
Ford’s original protagonists are multi-layered and nuanced, brimming with idiosyncrasy. Although Kwanten’s performance hits the occasional false note, he ultimately proves his diversity in playing oddball Griff. Kwanten may get top billing but it’s Dermody, one of Australia’s most exciting young talents who’s the standout here. With a wealth of soul, she’s brilliantly authentic and affecting, not to mention an effortless slapstick. Dermody has the ability, much like Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep, to meld into character making you forget you’re watching an actress at play. Surely there’s no better arbiter of success.
Griff doesn’t always fire. The mix of genres and hyper reality feels awkward at times. But then where some Australian filmmakers are accused of indifference when it comes to entertaining filmgoers, Griff’s makers should be congratulated for being the antithesis.
Griff the Invisible opened nationally in Australia on March 17th.
Director: Leon Ford
Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Maeve Dermody, Toby Schmitz, Patrick Brammall, Marshall Napier, Heather Mitchell
Actually, unknown to almost everybody is a little known Aussie superhero film from 1984 called “The Return of Captain Invincible”. It was also a musical and featured the exact same plot as the Will Smith blockbuster “Hancock”. It’s all very strange.