The Invisible Man Cert: 15, 2hrs 4mins
Let’s begin with what this new version of The Invisible Man is not. Well, to my relief, it isn’t another superhero film about some unfortunate teenager rendered invisible by an accidental blast of alien radiation.
Nor does it have much to do with the early science-fiction novel penned by H G Wells at the end of the 19th century, although a couple of the original character names have been retained.
And nor – at least as I watched and rather enjoyed the first 45 minutes or so – does it seem to have much in common with the sporadically revived stage adaptation, the popularity of which is reliant on extraordinary special effects that are so much more impressive executed live on stage than on the deceitful big screen.
We anxiously wait to see whether Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss, above) can escape the controlling clutches of her obviously seriously rich oculist boyfriend, Adrian
And then our heroine – played here by The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss – has her first close encounter with the title character and, as she’s hurled round a suburban living room by inevitably unseen forces, and I have to rethink everything.
And not in a good way.
What the Australian actor and film-maker Leigh Whannell has actually come up with is a strange cinematic hybrid that combines large chunks of the old Julia Roberts thriller Sleeping With The Enemy with the basic gist of Wells’s story, already subject to a high-tech makeover.
Cecilia’s been installed at a safe house owned by a hunky San Francisco police officer (James Lanier, above), and soon is informed that her ex has committed suicide
And at the impressively tense start, it looks like he might have delivered something pretty good. Casting Moss, a serious actress known for the emotional intensity she brings to her roles, is a particularly clever move, as we anxiously wait to see whether Cecilia (Moss) can escape the controlling clutches of her obviously seriously rich oculist boyfriend, Adrian.
It’s a nerve-shredding time as we watch her carefully tip-toeing out of the ultra-modern clifftop California home she’s clearly been unhappily sharing with him, disarming alarms, refocusing security cameras, silencing over-friendly dogs…
I surely give little away by telling you that she makes it but, equally, I give little away by adding that even when she’s been picked up by her sister, installed at a safe house owned by a hunky San Francisco police officer, and soon been informed that her ex – presumably consumed with guilt and grief – has committed suicide, we’re pretty sure that’s not the end of it.
After all, we’ve all seen the gadgetry in his basement, and then, of course, there’s the big clue of the title.
And so the waiting begins. Sensing a presence but unable to see one, she begins – in best Hitchcockian traditions – to doubt her own sanity. As do those around her, although they do their level utmost to be understanding – after all, she’s been through a lot.
Me, I was thinking there’s a limit to how much ‘empty room acting’ any film can take and, despite the well-sustained high tension of an attic scene, we were getting perilously close to it. Moss may be good, but she’s not that good.
I don’t want to be precise about when the film starts to fall apart, particularly as young audiences may be forgiving. But anyone who finds The Exorcist suddenly coming to mind will have spotted it for themselves.
On stage, when this sort of thing is done well, we all end up thinking ‘how clever’. In a film, however, where we know what visual effects departments can do, that’s very quickly replaced by ‘how silly’. Discerning grown-ups please take note.
From that pivotal moment the plot holes multiply, while the improbabilities mount almost as quickly as the body count. Wells’s invisible man was no angel but this one – blessed, it seems, with near-superhuman strength as well as the cloak of invisibility – is an absolute psychopath.
Unless, of course, all is not as it appears. Or disappears, come to that. Either way, it’s disappointing.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Downhill (15)
Rating: 
Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus star as a long-married couple whose relationship comes under pressure when, together with their two young sons, they are caught in an avalanche at the beginning of their Austrian ski holiday.
As their restaurant terrace is engulfed in clouds of snow, Pete (Ferrell) simply grabs his phone and runs away.
It doesn’t matter that the avalanche eventually turns out to have been a controlled one, what matters is that at the crucial moment when his entire family seemed to be in danger, Pete turned and fled, leaving his wife Billie shaken, shocked and re-evaluating their relationship.
If all this sounds familiar, it probably means you’ve seen Force Majeure, the Swedish film on which this is based. Some changes have been made, not all of them good, including the introduction of such tired old comedy skiing stereotypes as a sex-obsessed hotel manager (Miranda Otto) and a handsome Italian instructor (Giulio Berruti).
But Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell (giving one of his subtler performances) are both good in a comedy-drama that eventually has a lot to say about disappointment, the passing of time and the fragility of the male ego.
Dark Waters (12A)
Rating:
Remember Erin Brockovich? Well, this is very like that, as corporate lawyer Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) reluctantly rallies to the aid of a West Virginia farmer who believes his cattle are being killed by a polluted water supply.
And the mighty DuPont chemical company is the chief suspect.
This is a true and important story, concerning a chemical that was once found in pretty much every kitchen. But while the narrative is compelling, Ruffalo is no Julia Roberts, some of the supporting performances are over the top, and director Todd Haynes takes too long to reach the admittedly powerful climax.
True History Of The Kelly Gang (18)
Rating: 
Based on Peter Carey’s novel and directed by Justin Kurzel, this new take on the life of the Australian outlaw begins brightly enough, before descending into over-extended chaos.
It’s a shame, as there are some lovely performances around, from the likes of Russell Crowe as Ned’s criminal mentor, Essie Davis as his extraordinary mother and Nicholas Hoult as the British trooper who makes the mistake of trying to befriend him.
Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (15)
Rating: 
On an island off the coast of 18th-century Brittany, a young woman reluctantly awaits an arranged marriage. But first her portrait must be painted so her suitor can see what she looks like.
She’s already refused to sit for a male painter, but when Marianne (Noémie Merlant) arrives, Heloise (Adèle Haenel) slowly proves more amenable, and soon the women have begun a sexual relationship.
But when Marianne finishes her portrait, it must end.
Heloise’s (Adèle Haenel) already refused to sit for a male painter, but when Marianne (Noémie Merlant, both above) arrives, she slowly proves more amenable
With distant echoes of The Piano, what ensues is beautiful to look at but it’s also strange and potentially upsetting. The ending, however, is lovely.