As anyone who has seen any of his work will know, Brendan Gleeson is one of the finest British actors working in the film industry today; likewise, one cannot help but feel that Michael Angarano and Emily VanCamp are two of cinema's brightest upcoming stars, and the rest of the cast equally solid. Although a great admirer of all these three actors and Gann's 'Invincible', I was put off from watching this for an undue length of time by the IMDb Plot description 'A teenage boy (Angarano) longs to win the attention of his emotionally distant father.' - this film is so much more than that.
This is not a film designed to showcase dramatic highs and lows - rather, it is a film about the cold, often bitter truths of life living on the fringes of society; and the angst involved in growing up given the expectations of both immediate - family - and wider society. One gets the impression that, rather like the tale of growing up in South Boston achieved by Damon and Affleck in Good Will Hunting, this tale, its characters and their mannerisms are all drawn from first-hand experience; an excerpt of that life.
It makes for difficult viewing, but not because of Gann's direction: the story is one of little laughs, long moments of reflection; little highs and big lows; and the audience cannot help but feel the helplessness of the film's characters. It is a credit to Gann, however, that he does not milk the dramatic value of the more powerful scenes to no purpose (take note, Hollywood). My greatest criticism - and not a great one at that - is that one gets the impression that Gleeson was not entirely comfortable with the South Boston accent, and one suspects that this might be a criticism levelled at him unfairly; a simple script re-write might have done wonders to solve this problem.
Certainly, anyone who knows any of the work of Gann, Gleeson or Angarano would do well to watch this, although few would likely add it to their list of favourites. That aside, this is good, solid work from Gann in the director's chair, and I for one look forward to more from him.
This is not a film designed to showcase dramatic highs and lows - rather, it is a film about the cold, often bitter truths of life living on the fringes of society; and the angst involved in growing up given the expectations of both immediate - family - and wider society. One gets the impression that, rather like the tale of growing up in South Boston achieved by Damon and Affleck in Good Will Hunting, this tale, its characters and their mannerisms are all drawn from first-hand experience; an excerpt of that life.
It makes for difficult viewing, but not because of Gann's direction: the story is one of little laughs, long moments of reflection; little highs and big lows; and the audience cannot help but feel the helplessness of the film's characters. It is a credit to Gann, however, that he does not milk the dramatic value of the more powerful scenes to no purpose (take note, Hollywood). My greatest criticism - and not a great one at that - is that one gets the impression that Gleeson was not entirely comfortable with the South Boston accent, and one suspects that this might be a criticism levelled at him unfairly; a simple script re-write might have done wonders to solve this problem.
Certainly, anyone who knows any of the work of Gann, Gleeson or Angarano would do well to watch this, although few would likely add it to their list of favourites. That aside, this is good, solid work from Gann in the director's chair, and I for one look forward to more from him.