One of the most mysterious moments Invisible Agentfrom Netflix, it’s failure of the argument to capture all his ambitions. On the one hand, this thriller in which a stubborn hero must fight a seasoned villain. On the other hand, a framework that analyzes power and its ramifications as part of a disturbing context. But in fact, the Russo brothers’ new film is nothing more than a full-fledged snapshot of the action genre. And this is to the extent that the argument can’t back up its best points. Or, in any case, delve into its subtleties.
Invisible Agent, as a premise, seems to only go through two points. The visual section, where the visual tricks are simply stunning, is a valuable combination of technique and ingenuity. On the other hand, the moments in which he tries to justify the behavior of his characters. Or at least make them believable. But the script isn’t thick enough to pull it off, so the feature film seems to float in his endless fight scenes. Having trouble telling a story that tries to delve into shenanigans, strategies and decisions based on technical knowledge, movie decreases in its first part. Particularly when he struggles to get into the psychology of the characters, who are flat, awkward and, more often than not, more focused on looking athletic than shiny.
In fact, the film finds its best moments when its two main characters have to face each other. Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling) is a CIA assassin on the run. And it’s the way the film talks about the possibility of Gentry’s courage and fearlessness that sustains the character. Beyond its reflection as an independent element of a brutal and efficient larger mechanism, the premise around it has little to say. The Russo brothers, who have demonstrated a more than convincing ability to tell large-scale stories, have difficulty with specific. Especially when they need to dig deeper and analyze the motive that drives their character into new areas.
At the other extreme is Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a psychopathic killer who seems to sum up all the clichés of the genre. Grinning, sinister and unforgiving, Evans’ Hansen is a playful, unconvincing combination of something a little more sinister. In fact, the Russo brothers (who also write the screenplay) seem unable to analyze and form an idea of this unstoppable and violent figure. Is his goal just to kill? Or is there something more hidden and more suggestive in their savage ferocity? Little can be said about the character, who seems to be a versatile version of the usual hitman who has nothing to lose, but everything to gain. But for a movie that tries to show that killing has value, or at least that it does, the idea is complex and difficult.
An extravagant journey to flat history
After a promising first stretch, invisible agent soon he has nothing to say. At least, apart from this game of cat and mouse, which is worth little and tries to show a lot. It’s embarrassing that the movie is so empty, with so many elements in his favor. The Russo brothers turn a visual spectacle into a series of conditions and versions of a competent and integral action. Actors are faced with the dilemma of giving personality to unlikely characters who float in the midst of a sea of increasingly exaggerated clichés.
One of the lowest points Invisible Agent consists in building a confrontation between two dangerous men, in a dilemma of wrong decisions. None of the central characters have any real solidity. And when an exhausted Gosling-played Gentry tries to stop an assassin who is supposed to kill him, there is a feeling of confusion. As for motives, it’s not entirely clear how Gentry ended up in this situation, or at least how it was his only way out. It is the ability of both the killer and the victim to use violence for more sophisticated purposes than blowing things up or starring in choreographed gunfights. Gradually, the film is torn between two completely different areas that it cannot reconcile. Violence as a last resort and at the same time the ideal and inevitable path for both characters.
For its part, Evans’ Hansen is a messy mix of commonplace similar characters. Clearly the actor’s intent is to create something completely new for his more familiar roles. But he fails not in his approach, but in the soundness of his motives.. Violent, ironic and increasingly twisted, this one-mission hitman seems to make it clear that he will do it any way he can. In addition, its resources are vast, intricate and increasingly complex. But none of this knowledge of the killer’s prowess comes to light at all. The argument does not have everything in common to support the state of evil as an inevitable solution. But even more complicated is how this killer chooses to be cruel in a sophisticated and even mocking manner. The device only works when Evans allows himself to be more than a stereotype, and that doesn’t happen often.
Invisible agent, much ado about nothing
FROM $200 million investment, Invisible Agent This is one of the most expensive movies on Netflix. Also, whoever is destined to open the door, perhaps to a sequel or become the source of a larger universe. The story, based on the book of the same name by Mark Greaney, has every chance of becoming something more than an ordinary film about shootouts and chases. And at some points, it almost manages to transcend that creaky show line in favor of something deeper. But there are a few moments where the Russos internalize the idea of a complex backstory beyond the classic confrontation between two assassins with different goals.
A disturbing idea when you consider that the entire scenario is based on the premise of setting the stage for a broader view of the substrate. Whether it’s the ambiguous character played by Ryan Gosling or the sinister villain Chris Evans, big universe. The mythology of a dangerous and formidable underworld that is properly exploited could be of great interest.
But the Russos, veterans of big-budget films designed to shock rather than move, are making a major mistake. The film is built to tell the story of a brutal confrontation between two opposing forces. But not to give individuality to their characters. Especially to the subtext, which is announced, but is not shown in full. Perhaps the biggest mistake Invisible Agent as a premise.
This is an updated version of an article previously published in Hipertextual.
