Some films are so odd that I really never know what to make of them. "An Invisible Sign," a drama film released on DVD/Blu-Ray on Nov. 1, is one such film that allowed eccentricities to prevent it from coming together. The film stars Jessica Alba as Mona Gray, a young woman who attempts to restore her father's health by giving up everything she's ever cared about, except mathematics.
Based on the 2001 novel "An Invisible Sign of My Own" by Aimee Bender, this is a story that may have lost its way during the adaptation period.Bender is well known for creating surreal plots and characters, which works very well in the literary world because fiction follows almost no restriction. What the producers of this film failed to realize was that these surreal elements might not be as clear or touching on the screen. "An Invisible Sign" was told in a way that made it seem like it was supposed to be realistic, but taking these characters and events seriously gave me permanent frown lines.
Alba gives a sufficient performance of an adult woman trapped in a child-like mentality, fearful of responsibility and the joys of life. Still, her adequate acting wasn't enough to develop her character in the desired manner. Gray's obsessive, irrational behavior left me uneasy and unsympathetic. I had no patience for her self-inflicted misery. Alba's pouting and shifting eyes were all she really contributed to a character who didn't really have much substance to begin with.
The truly disturbing aspect of this film was the attempt to create a sense of innocence and playfulness around serious, adult themes. This storybook drama film seemed like an incredibly ridiculous contradiction. The violence and emotional turmoil of the film were not handled in a delicate way. The tone was too upbeat and light-hearted to carry all of these heavy topics. The movie itself felt childish and unemotional, yet it isn't meant for children at all.
Chris Messina ("Julie & Julia," "Monogamy") as Gray's love interest, Ben Smith, was the only mildly enjoyable aspect of the film. His appropriate humor and sanity were refreshing. Although he could not completely balance out the entire film, he at least carried the scenes he was a part of. In fact, I never wanted him to leave the screen.
"An Invisible Sign" may have been an interesting story to read with sufficient time to consider the true motives of the characters. Not all books are meant to be films — especially this one. The plot was so farfetched and all over the place that it doesn't amount to anything in the end. The movie didn't seem as though it was meant to be surreal and taken with an open mind. It felt too real and too serious. "An Invisible Sign" is simply a waste of time.
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