The Invitation

When reading Lance Henriksen's biography "Not bad for a human" (Highly recommended btw), I was sure to make some discoveries here and there. Amongst the more obscure titles was "The invitation", though he talks about it in high praise. He does in fact note that the American DVD Cover leads you on a wrong track, giving the vibe of a cheap horror flick. Well, it isn't. It's a film with less of a narrative structure, but analyzing its characters piece by piece. As the story progresses, a lot of background stories are thrown in. Not to explain you everything in detail, but enough for you to puzzle together the pieces about everyone's motivation and intentions. Produced by a noticeable small budget, the locations are limited and the cinematography is spare, yet creative. But that's not the focus anyway.

What drive me to it, was the reference to the Millennium series. And while the plot and style of the film differs to a great extend, there are certain scenes which give you that unnerving and surreal atmosphere. It's one of the rare experiences where you cannot predict what's coming next.

I doubt a lot of people will discover this film and I doubt a lot of people will get into it. It's no life-changing experience whatsoever but if you are willing to expose yourself to it's rough premise, you'll get one of Lance's finer performances and a film that will surprise you and make you reflect. It echoed with me still days after I watched it.

Six friends (and a dog) each harboring a deep dark secret (minus the dog, of course) are invited to an old friend, Roland's (Lance Henriksen), secluded island retreat. Where they are promptly poisoned via wine at dinner. Seems Roland had experienced a near-death life-changing experience when he unknowingly drank poison while traveling abroad, and he wishes to share this 'gift' with the others in order to free them of their inner demons. But as one by one they start dropping dead, is his reasoning truly sound?

Henrikson is a magnificent actor who has been in some dreadful films (Pumpkinhead 3, the Mangler, etcetera) but with even a mediocre script, he can and does take the ball and run with it. Here he pulls off a pretty good performance, sadly however the rest of the cast can't hope to excel and pale in comparison. The movie itself is good enough until it devolves before your eyes into something akin to a Made-For-Lifetime TV movie. (you'll understand after watching it) But it still kept my interest for the most part, thanks in no small part to Lance.

My Grade: C-

This movie must have grown out of the near death experience of the writer or a close relative of the writer. When the experience happens and a person gets another chance at life, everything changes and with it the urge to let our loved ones know about the secret. A secret so hard to explain that it can only be heard in the mind's eye by going through the door of knowledge that brings many things into a clearer perception. The urge for Roland takes us viewers on a journey to educate not only us, but the characters in the movie and all of those involved in it's creation as well. I think that this visual story teller will inspire many to think.

This film had a great premise, and it just goes to show you that an idea IS NOT EVERYTHING.

I don't know if the script was good and they killed it, but from what I watched, NOTHING MADE ANY SENSE.

Instead of setting it up in a believable way, we never find out who the people are or how they connect. Then instead of starting off in a normal way and then saying, oh by the way, you know that little story I told you, well I did the same to you, they just some how guess that they have been poisned. Joke about it for 10 minutes and barely react when they find out it is true.

If your friend told you they just poisoned you, first thing you do, is KICK THE SH%% T OUT OF THEM. Second, you ask, WHY. And third, TRY TO FIND THE CURE. I don't think anyone did any of these things in the movie.

This movie made me sick it was so bad.

I really liked this movie. It was not the best movie I have ever seen, but it did move me more than any movie has in a long time. The acting was for the most part very good, especially on the part of Lance Henrickson. When is he ever bad?

I have read some negative comments,but it seems obvious the author of those comments weren't really paying attention to, nor did they watch all of, this movie. They would have found the answers they were looking for if they had.

It's the kind of movie that makes you think. It makes you wonder if the secrets you hold inside are preventing you from enjoying life the way you should. It also makes you wonder if the people in your life who seem so closed off emotionally are only afraid of revealing their own secrets.