This received its British network television premiere at 3.20 am on Channel 4 . Believe me this is never the sign of a good movie since in the last few weeks we've had to endure garbage like THIS FILTHY EARTH and DEAD BABIES also being given their premieres at an ungodly hour and boy did they deserve not to be seen
I have to admit I made a point of watching THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS since it featured Christopher Eccleston , an actor I've admired since his debut in LET HIM HAVE IT ( Hands up who'd be watching the new series of DOCTOR WHO if it starred a children's television presenter instead of a serious actor ? ) but from the opening sequence of Cameron Diaz dancing in slow motion I was convinced I was going to be watching another piece of pretentious art house crap and as soon as I heard Phoebe's voice over I was having reservations about the movie . Bare in mind I was watching this about 3.30 am which is far too late to be staying up even if you're single
The worst part of this movie is the start since it's rather sentimental and 60s agitpop man . Phoebe's father dies and her elder sister Faith leaves the house to go to Europe with her lefty hippy friends . Faith dies and a few years later Phoebe travels to Europe to find out what happened to her sister . The story then picks up as it turns out Faith joined the German Red Army Faction and after committing a bombing that killed a young father she commits suicide by jumping off a cliff in Portugal Yeah okay the plot featuring Faith becoming a commie terrorist is very unlikely but despite this it's acted well enough for the audience to be taken in if not totally convinced . But I don't want to give the impression that THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS is a kind of political Euro thriller in the vein of RONIN or YEAR OF THE GUN because that's not what the movie is about , what it's about is guilt and redemption and just about succeeds on this level . It's beautifully acted by the cast but Eccleston is always good while Cameron Diaz is a revelation and makes me wonder what she's doing making crap like CHARLIES ANGELS ?
And as a footnote Eccleston's character is called Wolf . It's strange because in the current series of DOCTOR WHO there's numerous references to " Bad Wolf " and one can't help thinking that since Russell T Davies is a self conscious post modernist writer this might have something to do with Eccleston's role in this movie . We shall see
I have to admit I made a point of watching THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS since it featured Christopher Eccleston , an actor I've admired since his debut in LET HIM HAVE IT ( Hands up who'd be watching the new series of DOCTOR WHO if it starred a children's television presenter instead of a serious actor ? ) but from the opening sequence of Cameron Diaz dancing in slow motion I was convinced I was going to be watching another piece of pretentious art house crap and as soon as I heard Phoebe's voice over I was having reservations about the movie . Bare in mind I was watching this about 3.30 am which is far too late to be staying up even if you're single
The worst part of this movie is the start since it's rather sentimental and 60s agitpop man . Phoebe's father dies and her elder sister Faith leaves the house to go to Europe with her lefty hippy friends . Faith dies and a few years later Phoebe travels to Europe to find out what happened to her sister . The story then picks up as it turns out Faith joined the German Red Army Faction and after committing a bombing that killed a young father she commits suicide by jumping off a cliff in Portugal Yeah okay the plot featuring Faith becoming a commie terrorist is very unlikely but despite this it's acted well enough for the audience to be taken in if not totally convinced . But I don't want to give the impression that THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS is a kind of political Euro thriller in the vein of RONIN or YEAR OF THE GUN because that's not what the movie is about , what it's about is guilt and redemption and just about succeeds on this level . It's beautifully acted by the cast but Eccleston is always good while Cameron Diaz is a revelation and makes me wonder what she's doing making crap like CHARLIES ANGELS ?
And as a footnote Eccleston's character is called Wolf . It's strange because in the current series of DOCTOR WHO there's numerous references to " Bad Wolf " and one can't help thinking that since Russell T Davies is a self conscious post modernist writer this might have something to do with Eccleston's role in this movie . We shall see