The Invasion (2007)

The Invasion got a real bum rap, and it might have sort of deserved it. The remake of the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers was directed partially by Oliver Hirschspiegel, who directed Der Untergang (2004), the awesome movie about the interior of Hitler's bunker during the fall of Berlin. But halfway through the direction, the studio thought it wasn't big-money enough, and sent in the Matrix/Wachowski Brothers to "fix" it. This means that there are some really good, foreboding, what's-wrong-with-humanity scenes, with the texture and intent of Der Untergang, and then there are some really cheesy moments, like car chases and subway chases (with a be-heeled Kidman running like crazy) and a scene where Kidman's six-year-old son gives his mother an adrenaline shot through the sternum (which, if you watched Pulp Fiction, you happen to know is really, really difficult to do).

Nicole Kidman will just never be believable as a mother to me, even though I have few illusions about the sanctity/softness/sweetness of motherhood. It was better when she was a mean, evil mother in The Golden Compass (which also starred Daniel Craig in the sorta-romantic other lead). There are many character development issues, including the question of why Kidman's character wouldn't go for Craig's romantic propositions. Hey! I almost wrote "Clinton" when I was supposed to be writing "Kidman"! Heh.