Griff the Invisible

The film centres around the title character Griff, a socially anxious young man who spends his days working a mundane office job. Unfortunately his shy nature makes him an easy target for a co-worker to bully Griff on a daily basis. At night, Griff assumes the identity of "Griff the Protector", sworn protector of the neighbourhood. His well-intentioned and concerned older brother sees this behaviour as abnormal (no really, he does) and is at a loss of how to help him. His brother's girlfriend finds Griff's behaviour attractive.

This is a movie that appeals to the strange nature in all of us that we all keep bottled up inside, hidden from the outside world. The two central characters are almost caricatures of what it is to be strange and different given their loose grip on reality, yet they still manage to be believable, which is a testament to the sharp and consistent writing and the amazing performances by Ryan Kwanten (Griff) and Maeve Dermody (Melody) to portray them.

At its core, Griff the Invisible is a love story. Nothing is more endearing than watching these two innocent and strange beings find each other and connect in all their strangeness. Together they create their own vivid reality, which I think the kid in all of us wishes we could be a part of.

Last I checked, police cars we're still burning fossil fuels and stuck on planet earth, while imagination take us anywhere. This movie made it enjoyable to share the character's blurred line between imagination and reality, to fight crime and do amazing things.

Totally clean humor fun. Glad I paid attention to details that make it LOL funny numerous times, both at the characters and myself.

Nothing at all like other recent similarly framed films.

With surprises along the way, Griff is a refreshing a dash of fantasy science fiction, with a focus that reminds me that innovation starts with imagination - portrayed in a simple way that brings it all down to earth.

Though there was heartbreak, it ended perfectly; plus an extra star for appreciating kitties.

People see the world through different windows. Most of us see the everyday stark reality of work, home, and family. A few people see things a bit more unusually. On the surface, Griff (Ryan Kwanten) leads an unassuming and mundane life. He has a job as a shipping liaison in a cramped cubicle, he does not enjoy talking to people, and he seems to hide even when he is walking on the street. Because of Griff's social ineptitude, he is a magnet for bullies. There is a bully at work who singles out Griff for torment and even Griff's brother Tim (Patrick Brammall) makes Griff feel uncomfortable with his overbearing manner.

Griff has a secret though. There is a reason he chooses not to have any friends and only works rote office jobs. He is a superhero. At night, he scans the streets with a telescope and a bank of computers from his apartment searching out ruffians intent on harming neighborhood women. The police commissioner will call him with tips and thanks for a job well done. To keep his superhero costume in working order and incorporate new technologies, Griff visits a local hardware store and always warns the cashier to forget he was ever there.

Melody (Maeve Dermody) also has a secret. She realizes that since there is so much space between the atoms in our bodies and the atoms in walls that if she aligns herself just right, she can walk through walls. She happens across Griff and is mesmerized. Here is a kindred spirit. Melody cannot stand the workaday men who fancy her because they see the world as it really is. Griff, on the other hand, does not see hardly any reality and this strikes Melody as the most wonderful thing she has ever seen.

The story and interactions between aloof Griff and curious Melody work. They have a special conversational style and truly understand one another. When they are on screen together, the film works. Unfortunately, when they are apart and it is just Griff and his superhero activities, the film is a complete mess. Griff is really not a very interesting character when it is just him in his apartment trying out new superhero ideas. Melody is the character the audience cares about and wants to watch, so whenever she is off screen, you spend that time just waiting for her to reappear.

I don't usually write reviews, but this movie has touched me. Like the two main characters in this film, I am on the spectrum, and considered a "high functioning autistic". On the exterior, appearing quite "normal", but the internal wiring is very different. This film explores many of the aspects of living with autism, from difficulties in relationships with family, friends, and co-workers. It helps to teach others what autism might be like through the eyes of someone else with autism. What a beautiful way to approach the subject. Through a love story, of sorts. We learn that autistic people can find love and be accepted for who they are, without having to change, or pretend to be "normal". I loved the message. It has not been told in quite this way before. If you feel different from everyone else, if you feel alone in this world, if you have very few friends, if you feel invisible in a crowded room,...watch this movie. It will give you hope.

Leon Ford's "Griff the Invisible," Australia's answer to the superheroes-in-the-real-world approach popular in the United States, is an interesting little low-budget romantic comedy masquerading as a superhero flick. Some people may be turned off by the apparent lack of superhero action in this film, but as the ending of "Griff the Invisible" proves, it's the "reality" of what goes on that counts.

Griff (Ryan Kwanten) is a socially awkward office employee by day, and a not-so-anonymous superhero called "Griff" by night. He prowls the streets of his local neighborhood fighting crime. At the office, he's the target of the office bully, and Griff takes to sneaking in the office at night to set up booby traps to pull off the next day.

Griff's older brother Tim (Patrick Brammall) has recently begun dating the equally socially awkward Melody (Maeve Dermody). Melody is a budding young scientist obsessed with trying to unlock the secrets to inter-dimensional travel. In Griff, she finds a kindred spirit, which proves problematic for her current relationship with his brother.

"Griff the Invisible" is a competently acted little superhero film. One thing that may kill the experience, however, is a third-act twist that lends further credence to a commonly-held belief about the supposed mental instability of people who try to be real-life superheroes. This is unfortunate, because it's firmly established that Griff is far from "normal," but we seem to sympathize him, his relationship with Melody and his mission to save the world, but we also understand that there is nothing wrong with being "weird." Griff and Melody are perfect for each other because they're so "weird" and don't have to worry about being "normal" (like everybody else).

"Griff the Invisible" takes the whole superheroes-in-the-real-world to a level not previously seen in other films dealing with the subject (like "Kick-Ass" or "Super"). It's a flawed movie, but don't let its flaws kill your enjoyment of it.

7/10