Nicole Kidman in THE INVASTION (2007).
© Warner Bros. Pictures
Mania Grade: B
Maniac Grade: B-
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Jackson Bond, Jeffrey Wright
Writer: David Kajganich, based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Maniac Grade: B-
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Jackson Bond, Jeffrey Wright
Writer: David Kajganich, based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Distributor: Warner Bros.
THE INVASION
By: Abbie BernsteinDate: Saturday, August 18, 2007
This is the fourth major official adaptation of Jack Finney’s novel The Body Snatchers – director Don Siegel made the seminal first Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Philip Kaufman did a terrific remake in 1978, Abel Ferrara took it on in 1993, shortening the title to Body Snatchers, and now director Oliver Hirschbiegel and screenwriter David Kajganich are giving it a shot with the other half of the title, The Invasion.
Taken collectively, the four film versions demonstrate what a great premise this is – all of the movies work (my pick for best of the lot is Kaufman’s adaptation, but your mileage may vary). The new film resonates with specific memories of the older editions while putting a new spin on things. The catch is that the spin isn’t quite that new, so that there’s a sense of familiarity – we know the ride we’re on. This is also enhanced by the fact that our heroine this time around is a parent and we’re watching a big studio film. Parenthood in major studio horror films (and a lot of indies as well) is often code for certain types of plot developments to come; when The Invasion doesn’t quickly turn absolutely outrageous, we can make educated guesses about how the storytelling will work here.
Nicole Kidman plays Dr. Carol Bennell, psychiatrist, devoted mother of young Oliver (Jackson Bond), and ex-wife of scientist Dr. Tucker Kaufman (Jeremy Northam). Tucker is on site investigating a space shuttle crash, where he comes into skin contact with something bad. All of a sudden, he wants to exercise his custody rights, leaving Carol frazzled but compliant. At the same time, one of Carol’s regular patients (Veronica Cartwright, a veteran of the Philip Kaufman Invasion) comes in upset that her husband “isn’t my husband.” Carol starts noticing strange behavior in people around her – and starts getting very worried about Oliver being with his father, since Tucker is also acting odd. When Carol comes into contact with a strange bit of matter and takes it for analysis to her doctor friend Ben (Daniel Craig), the results are startling and seem connected with the growing, ominous weirdness around them.
Kajganich’s screenplay brings up some provocative questions, but doesn’t exactly know how to integrate them into the action. It may be that the idea of people as a single organism is causing peace elsewhere in the world, but down at camera ground zero, where we’re watching Carol’s ordeal, the affected people are plenty violent, which for practical purposes nullifies the debate.
The original premise and structure are a gift to filmmakers and director Hirschbiegel and writer Kajganich use both wisely, resulting in a taut, tense thriller with plenty of action. Kidman is a powerful focal point, young Bond is very likable and Craig is truly appealing as Carol’s best friend (actually, the biggest suspension of disbelief in the entire film is when she resists his romantic overtures – we can’t tell what she or the filmmakers are thinking here). Northam is smoothness personified, Jeffrey Wright adds a lot of sanity as Ben’s chief colleague and Cartwright is just great as Kidman’s distraught patient.
