The Invader (2011)

Just perfect...

As Good As It Gets

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

--- Amadou does not complete this sentence (somewhere mid-film), but my thoughts would be that he was originally the son of the head of a tribe in Africa, or at least the son of a fierce warrior. Initially, Amadou gets caught up in a rather 'standard' immigrant story in which he works hard, follows orders and remains in a small, dirty room somewhere in the back of Brussels. But the ill fate of his friend pushes him to break into a next level.He moves around like a charming ghost, and is relatively hopeful about building up a life. This does not take long to go wrong, and it becomes clear how very much out of place he is in this far away city. Bloodshed and despair are imminent, but Amadou is still relentless in achieving a certain kind of happiness. It never becomes clear if he manages to do so, but any outcome that is to be deducted from the final scene, seems to be leading to only more bloodshed and despair.On the whole, I have pretty much no idea what the director intended to do here in terms of a statement on immigration or otherwise, but I can say I saw a relatively intriguing film, with some very good acting by the whole cast, but by Isaka Sawadogo in particular. And it is no wonder he (Amadou) goes after Stefania Rocca!The opening scene is intriguing and beautiful, but for the rest of the film I wasn't very impressed, even if it certainly has a certain visual flair. The nudity didn't put me off at all, but on the other hand, it didn't seem to be all that necessary most of the time. But maybe I should try this film again sometime.6 out of 10 for now.

It was on TV late night. Although I missed big portions in the beginning of the movie, it was so intense I had to watch it again fully.The movie is about an African immigrant living and working illegally in Belgium. He is given shelter and work by a; what i assume to be a trafficker of some sort. He has a friend also from Africa: Sioka who is ill and bedridden.Things turn from bad to worse for our protagonist when his boss gets sick and tired of his friend Sioka laying around unproductive. The movie touches the hardship many illegals face, the rough life of being caught between the gray areas of society. Although in my opinion the ending didn't feel like one, I didn't really understand it. Thus for me, it wasn't really a satisfying one.Yes, the soundtrack is fitting, I thoroughly enjoyed it . it wouldn't do you justice to explain it all in depth. I only recommend you to watch it and find out yourself. This movie is that and more. I give it a 7/10

I agree with another comment that the film offers a quite different image of an immigrant shown usually in films. But I want to make a step further, it is a racist image. Obama (whatever his name is) represents a threat to others. Sometimes we find it justified (when he revenges killing the "bad" guys) sometimes unacceptable ( the case with Agnes), but is a threat. Lot of times his look is threatening, without a specific reason and this is the whole idea I think. When you look at him wandering around without prospects what do you think? that he must be expelled, he must be sent back to his country. Unfortunately this is the point of view of the majority in real life...

If the opening shot of a director's first feature film can be considered a statement, Nicolas Provost has made his point. I won't spoil the fun by telling what the shot consists of, but this is what Provost tells the audience: here I am, I'm not afraid of controversy, and I don't care what others think. Not only the opening shot, but the complete opening scene shows what kind of a film maker Provost is. It's a beautiful scene, in more than one sense, that tells a whole world without words. There's no dialog in the scene, but the meaning is all the more powerful. This may sound as if The Invader is a difficult and hard to understand film. It is not. It is crystal clear and very straightforward. Basically, it's a big city thriller about an illegal immigrant. The way Provost handles the theme of illegal immigration, is very interesting. Most recent European films about this theme show the immigrants as poor, helpless, desperate people who should be pitied. Le Silence de Lorna, Illégal, Lichter and In This World are cases in point. The Invader is completely different. African immigrant Amadou is a proud man, who doesn't let himself be humiliated by anyone. He hopes to make it in Brussels by using his guts and his charm with women. If necessary, he lies, steals and even kills. Amadou can be very charming one moment, but very threatening the next. The story is set in Brussels, which is shown in beautiful photography, with its sleazy as well as its glamorous sides. While telling Amadou's story, Provost doesn't shy away from violent and erotic scenes that some may find controversial. Sex, race and gender are prominent themes. This is a daring and noteworthy debut film. I'm already looking forward to Provost's next movie.