An Invisible Sign

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I found this one on Netflix streaming movies. It is quite quirky in places, which may turn off some who enjoy conventional narratives, but in total it is a very nice little story. Jessica Alba is the adult, 20-something Mona Gray. As a small girl she loved her dad, ran with him, did "numbers" with him, and overall became somewhat fascinated with numbers. But as she grew up her dad developed a mental problem, he could no longer function normally, and as a 10-yr-old Mona thought if she did certain things, for example if she denied herself of things she enjoyed, her dad would get better. All this caused Mona to grow up with development challenges, and she became very shy and unwilling to experience normal friendships, not to mention a love relationship. But one day, to help her, mom found out the local elementary math teacher had run off to Paraguay to join the revolutionaries and Mona was to be the new math teacher. Never mind that she never finished college! So Mona jumps in there, does the best she can, has difficulty controlling the students. But she meets Science teacher, Chris Messina as Ben Smith. he is pretty much the opposite of Mona, outgoing and not overly worrying about anything. He takes a liking to Mona but finds her shell very difficult to penetrate. J.K. Simmons is interesting as the neighbor Mr. Jones, who had taught math to Mona as a child, and who now runs the local hardware store. Her confused dad is John Shea as Dad. And Sonia Braga is her mom, still attractive at just past 60. I first saw her years ago in the 1983 movie "Gabriella" where in her early 20s played a sultry cook and lover. Interesting career arc! Anyway it is a nice movie, and therapeutic for Mona, as she eventually finds a way out of her shell. I have enjoyed Jessica Alba since her days as "Dark Angel" on the TV series, and I like her here.

I have to think that the producer of this film thought, "I want to tap that demographic of weird loner women who think that they look like Jessica Alba." What were you thinking about? What was the point? But this was yet another very fine example of how I don't want kids. I have a few questions: In what part of the country do they not check references? How did Alba get a job as a teacher without any credentials? Just put down in the file: "I took her mom's word for it." Okay, she gets the job and we see that she cannot control any of her classes except for the one where the geeky kids who all somehow love numbers (or are easily amused). Great. So, by no effort of her own, she has one good class. What happened to the other classes? We never go back to them. I can't say enough how thoroughly annoying those "good" kids were. Then the science teacher (who was likable and all) falls in love with Jessica Alba. Uhm. I myself am a very lonely guy but would run away from a girl so thoroughly weird and disinterested. But the demographic of unrealistic wall-flower women who just want a ready-made doting husband would love it. But in the real world this guy would need a stiff slap in the face. And this is all amidst a sea of wanderings and aimless walks. And finally I have to give a thumbs down again to Jessica Alba's acting abilities. Like Scarlett Johannsen, she's a looker but played hookie from one too many acting classes.

You mention an actress like Jessica Alba and the first thing you think of is one of Maxim's top hundred most beautiful women in the world. Geeks possibly remember her more for "Dark Angel" or "Fantastic Four" so it is often obvious to forget that she really is a very talented and gifted actress, and that revelation is very well proved in "An Invisible Sign." Jessica plays Mona Gray, a withdrawn socially awkward math prodigy whose heart belongs to her father, played by the masterful John Shea (Lex Luther from "Lois & Clark"). It isn't revealed in the movie, but her father seems stricken with Alzheimers, and her mother (Sonia Braga of "Kiss of The Spider Woman") kicks her out of the house because he requires too much attention. Literally living in the front yard, Alba soon has a job as a math teacher at her old school where the real world soon starts realizing that she too is sort of special. Quirky, eccentric and withdrawn, Alba really shines as she tries teaching her love for math and numbers to children, and at the same time, learning what the real world is about. One of the people to help pull her out of her shell is Ben Smith (Chris Messina of "Argo"), the physical education teacher, and a cute blonde girl desperately in search of a parent figure to bond to, and the person she bonds with is Alba, much to her consternation and disbelief. The movie is even more heightened by JK Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson from the "Spiderman" movies), playing her former math teacher and next-door neighbor, and Bailee Madison (Female Max from "Wizards Of Waverly Place") as her younger counterpart. The movie is completely charming and mystically-endearing, a welcome departure from Alba's bikini-clad roles or strong female characters trying to save the world, heightened by Alba's wonderful quirky and eccentric performance.

source: An Invisible Sign

"An Invisible Sign" finds Jessica Alba being stabbed in the leg by an axe and shedding buckets of tears, all to convince you that she's a "serious actress". The film is mostly terrible, but it's middle act is pleasantly cute, Alba wears a nice coat throughout and the film has a concept – a frigid, socially distant woman struggles to connect with others - that would make a good drama in another director's hands. The film was directed b Marilyn Agrelo, who peppers "An Invisible Sign" with alpha-numerical metaphysical musings which never quite work. Her point: accept fate where necessary, don't view the world through the prism of signs, and try to find the right balance between "living for yourself and your problems" and "living for others and their problems". Bending too hard in either direction lead to neuroses. Alba spends the film overacting, playing her character much too introverted, much too bottled up (it's not all her fault), a charade which reveals its superficiality when the film ends and she finds herself sucking her lover's tongue like a seasoned babe. Hyper-cute, the actress never convinces as a dweeby maths wizard. 6.9/10 - Worth one viewing.

Cute, nice movie of the paternal and filial love. There is a girl who can not grow up unable to integrate into the adult world of his father's mental degradation because of this has gained in childhood trauma is still unable to process. The trailer already I think a bit misleading, because it is much more serious than what the film suggests... the film is not really an easy mood. In addition, the film has a charm that is hard to describe... rather not try it, must see. Jessica Alba is perhaps the best films of the hosts next to Robert Rodriguez. It was very good finally see a drama, a film which does not carry the beauty of those who underwent surgery. Anyway, just had time for such a role, although as you read this, thanks also to America Ferrera :)

This movie is not your stereotypical happy ending movie. In someways, Ms. Gray reminds me of Miss Honey in Matilda. And as a child, she reminds me perhaps to Mary in The Secret Garden. Its plot, theme, and screenplay were tied together very nicely. Jessica Alba's performance was outstanding. Ms. Gray's character personality you see may be mistaken as shy but it is quite beyond that. For those of us that enjoy the language of numbers understand how to communicate with the universe. Because numbers you see are reliable. This particular film can be greatly misunderstood. Watch this film with an open mind and let your heart be just vulnerable enough as you are introduced to the world of a bizarre child. We must never judge a book by its cover as is commonly said. An Invisible Sign is so very underrated. It is not easy to grasp just as much as life itself isn't easy to grasp. Worth its every minute.