Paysage à la main invisible

"Landscape with Invisible Hand" is a 2023 satirical sci-fi comedy that attempts to critique capitalism, economic exploitation, and class divisions through interactions with quirky alien beings called the Vuvv. The film's satire occasionally teeters on the edge of parody as it portrays the Vuvv as whimsical and amusing visitors rather than imposing invaders. The story follows teenager Adam Campbell in a world where the Vuvv have left humanity financially distressed and creatively stifled. While the film has an inventive premise, it struggles with an overabundance of ideas and tonal inconsistency. The characters are emotionally detached, making it hard to connect with them. Despite its promise, the film often falls short in delivering a deep exploration of its themes. The portrayal of the Vuvv verges on becoming caricatures, and the film's tonal shifts disrupt the overall experience. However, it retains an odd charm and occasional moments of amusement, making it worth a watch for those open to its quirky journey.

In the near future, aliens called Vuvv have made first contact some five years earlier. After some resistance, the aliens found capitalist allies to take over the economy. Together, they live on floating cities while the population on the ground struggles with joblessness. Artistic student Adam Campbell (Asante Blackk) falls for new student Chloe Marsh (Kylie Rogers). Adam convinces his mother Beth Campbell (Tiffany Haddish) to take in Chloe's homeless family. In order to make some money, Adam and Chloe decide to do a courtship broadcast.

This is one weird sci-fi concept. Like other great sci-fi, this says more about the present day situation. This is really about today's growing underclass and their hopelessness. Blackk is an intriguing actor. The alien design is unique and weird. There are issues for a general public audience. A lot of this film is awkward and uncomfortable. It could be funny as long as the viewer isn't disturbed by the material.

The Vuvv represent all the worst aspects of modern, neo-liberal capitalism, imposing a world order in which one can only survive by being their direct servants, their paid mouthpieces (and they'll alter your message or art to make sure its acceptable), or by underbidding everyone else to sell one's labor, although that last option leaves you and yours only barely scraping by.

Unions are obviously a thing of the past, and cultural imperialism is being implemented to assimilate humans into the Vuvv way. It's all straight out of the playbooks of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Reason and The Economist, The Cato Institute and more think tanks than you could shake a stick at. Unfortunately for humanity, the Vuvv breath life into a theory and practice of neo-liberalism, whether it's called Reaganism, Thatcherism or Blairism, that is intellectually and empirically worn out, and can now only be implemented by fascists wearing a populist face.

In other words, Landscape with Invisible Hand stands in the grand tradition of Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, hiding themes and messages meant for today behind science fiction trappings. Overall, it's a good film, and a nice break from dystopian fiction in the style of A Quite Place, The Walking Dead and The Rest of Us.

Tiffany Hadish, who stars in this movie, is a Producer. As well as Brad Pitt. As some reviews state it is "weird sci-fi." I thoroughly enjoyed it as something very different. My wife enjoyed it less, she likes movies which are neatly tied up at the end and this one isn't.

The premise is an intelligent, advanced alien species, called the Vuvv, started observing Earth and its inhabitants back in the 1950s and in the early 2030s decided to make "first contact." Now, in 2036, they have firmly established themselves with giant floating cities that also accommodate the ultra wealthy. More ordinary people still live their usual lives but all are close to poverty and find ways to scratch out a living.

The Vuvv don't appear to be threatening but somehow are able to impose their will on Earthlings. One early example, as students show up for the beginning of a school day they are told they can all go home, they will all learn via remote access, teachers are no longer necessary.

Some professional reviewers rate this movie very low, others rate it very high. Similar with user reviews. Some think it is an allegory based on how European settlers a few hundred years ago took over the lands and cultures of the Native Americans and relegated them to a minimal existence. Myself? I am not sure what to think but I found the novelty to be very interesting and entertaining.

I always like to make sense of the title of a movie and yet I am not sure about "Landscape with Invisible Hand." Maybe it is a reference to the young character Adam who draws and paints, and near the end he paints a whole school wall with a variety of images, a sort of landscape of their current existence.

My wife and I watched it at home, streaming on Amazon Prime. I might watch it again after I let it digest a bit.

This film was pretty unexpected and unlike anything I've seen, and I think because of that it was a bit weird, like it had some narrative shifts. I loved the fact it touched on some pretty controversial topics, which is something I really enjoy under a Sci-fi lens.

Like distribution of wealth, what happens to native people in occupied land. It was really interesting.

The acting was pretty good, and the creature design was excellent in a way that it was very inhuman, and even communicated very differently, which was pretty cool. The film was well made with nice details, even down to the soundtrack.