Indie Film Review “Invisible” Addiction and its trauma take center stage in unrelenting, poignant, awareness-raising drama
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
Vanishing. Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of existence. There can be no denying that when life throws a weighty challenge in our direction, it can end up either defining us or sparking us to overcome. Of course, the latter is often FAR easier said than done, but usually never completely out of reach. If we face something so devastating that it causes us to not only close off the world, but abscond from reality as well, can we ever find the path back to normalcy?
CB (Zebedee Row) is a man with deep concerns about this precise scenario as it applies to a dear friend, a former star on the (potential) rise who suddenly fell into drugs and all that it stole away from him. Desperate to find his friend and attempt to bring him back from the edge, CB embarks on a journey that will not only push him to his own limits and understanding of that which resides within, but also reveal secrets and shocking truths as only the specter of addiction can manifest.
Next, my Mind:
Categorically intense, dramatic energy, resolute candidness, awareness-raising purpose, and an ultimately redemptive soul all get knitted together with adeptly executed, raw style and unreserved force of messaging through this 109-minute indie feature film from writer/director/producer/editor Matthew Michael Ross, co-producer Derek V Julian, executive producer Donald Watson, associate producers Bill Hoversten and Zebedee Row, along with consulting producers Tony Adler and Katie O’Leary. Never allowing itself to flinch away from the harsh realities its baseline premise holds to and depicts, the beauty of independent film shines forth with impactful, grounded, and wholly affecting power, a study in the fragility of our humanity but also its utter ability to be resilient even in the face of the most troubled of situations. The long and short….we aren’t given anything that is beyond HOPE, absolution, and healing.
Through its narrative that sees a young man in dire straits himself launching into a full-scale investigation to locate a beloved friend and ideally retrieve him from the mouth of oblivion after things in their lives went drastically south, what immediately makes the film’s potent statements about the tragedies of addiction even more compelling is the fact what we witness is based on real people and events. For this critic, any film that addresses such a hotbed and NECESSARY subject matter with the focus on raising more awareness and spurring on ACTION to help those suffering from this and other, as the title firmly indicates, “invisible” maladies is already a winning effort on its own. But, here we are not ONLY privy to this foundational thematic gist, but also a portrait of seeing that even when we might not acknowledge or grasp onto it in the pain and trauma of internal wars….WE ARE NOT ALONE.
The sheer importance of friendship’s bonds, compassion, and loyalty, the subsequent fracturing of this when circumstances turn ugly, feeling lost and directionless, the heavy price of self-destructive choices, dashed dreams, what boils beneath the surface that so many don’t see, respect, remain apathetic about, or even try to understand, the cost of newly building fame, how brokenness can bring people together through shared pain, how much we don’t always truly KNOW someone, how we can all feel unseen, the release of finding someone who actually DOES comprehend our struggles, seeking help, grasping onto second chances, moving forward, and being willing to let go are all thematic explorations we find here, placed within the stormy realms of vulnerability, mental stress, all-out separation from actuality, and an encompassing need for a freedom that otherwise eludes us and could lead to complete, fatal disaster.
Again, it is the film’s ability to immerse us in this tumult with verity and realistic vigor, making you experience the sense of both substantial loss but also the underlying magnitudes of genuine HEART, FAITH, and PERSEVERANCE of the human will once it has a goal in mind and refuses to stop until it has found what it searches for. Additionally, in the context of this narrative, that is all emphasized with precision and undeniable fervency, leading to a finale that is not only totally magnificent, but wholeheartedly stirring, even tear-inducing, in the atmosphere of vindication it so deftly elicits after so much tension and emotive fluctuations. Row puts forth a performance that is filled with believability, quiet and volatile emotional punch, and steadfast depth of urgency that befits the role he embodies here as CB, a man on a mission that will take his own hardships and search for new meaning to extremes even as he frantically searches for a lost friend.
Wading through the mire of a drug-fueled arena while interacting with others who were associated with his friend, CB will find that it’s more than just a small undertaking to even find anyone willing to selflessly assist him. When he does, will he be able to hang onto them? Or will the dingy world he’s traversing cause anyone who cares to be driven away? It’s an authentic air of acute, impassioned spirit Row delivers, and it makes us fully empathize with CB throughout his journey. Rachel Alig arrives as Heather, a local counselor for those fighting CRPS whom CB ends up becoming involved with as she chooses to assist him in his search for his friend. Even as they grow closer, their respective pain comes out as does the liberation from it they both need. I loved Alig’s equally credible performance here, as she exudes both a inexorable charm and delicateness that suits the character well, causing you to likewise root for her and the pair to succeed.
Julia Smushkova is Rebecca, a highly unstable ex-girlfriend of CB’s missing pal who doesn’t precisely help out in the manner CB is hoping for, and is well played by Smushkova who gives us a character to both pity and, at least initially, not like until events take a turn. Ryan Welsh is Turkish, a drug dealer with whom CB’s friend had apparently done plenty of business with and is on the bad side of an outstanding debt that CB must try and atone for on his friend’s behalf. Welsh unquestionably embodies the totally ruthless, unscrupulous person we’d expect in spades. Mark Vanda is Gary, a former music partner CB and his friend, along with others, used to collaborate with before things take the rougher path they do. Supporting turns are made here by Derek V Julian, Dondre Tuck, Paul Zawadsky, Michelle Houghton, Nick Genta, Kaliah Kirby, Jocelyn Wright, Myia Butler, Rick Ramirez, and Keri Bunkers among many others, all of whom provide solid performances in the screen time they have.
So, in total, “Invisible”, with its brilliant utilization of uncompromising storytelling, character development, excellent pacing, keenly profound perspectives on the themes it illustrates, and intelligently crafted revelations, stirs the heart, provokes the mind, and evocatively paints a tapestry of the need for consistent, grander recognition of and more regard towards those who are afflicted with that which is not readily evident on the surface. When we take the time to better discern these ailments, may it open the doors for more support, treatment, and emancipation for these individuals, as not everyone confronting the conditions is fortunate enough to survive it. This is a call to ensure that they, and for that matter ALL of us, can reach the point where NO ONE is invisible, but rather SEEN.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
