If you’re a longtime reader of X-Men comics you’ll get this: there’s a dimension called Mojoworld, where the people are pacified by watching the lives of its people and its superheroes in an endless stream of televised footage. Basically, our lives are their entertainment. That’s pretty much the concept behind Landscape with Invisible Hand, the latest film from Thoroughbreds and Bad Education director Cory Finley.
The film takes place on an Earth that has been invaded by a superior alien race, who proceed to take away our jobs, leaving few opportunities to make a living. It’s into this reality that an artistic young man and a young woman fall in love, and decide to broadcast their courtship as entertainment for the aliens who are obsessed with human culture. It doesn’t go well.
Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, and Tiffany Haddish star, joined by Josh Hamilton, Brooklynn MacKinzie, Michael Gandolfini, and William Jackson Harper in a small but key role. The film is based on M.T. Anderson’s 2017 novel, adapted by Finley.
This was the last movie I saw at Sundance this year, ending my personal streak of bad movies to close out the festival. I wrote, “Finley establishes a fun, loopy tone, but this isn’t a laugh-out-loud kind of movie. It’s just really odd and clever, and should find an audience who like their sci-fi on the weird side.”
Landscape with Invisible Hand opens on August 18th.
Years into a benevolent alien occupation of Earth, the human race is still adjusting to the new world order and its quirky coffee table-sized overlords called the Vuvv. Their flashy advanced technology initially held promise for global prosperity, but rendered most human jobs – and steady income – obsolete. When 17-year-old artist Adam Campbell (Asante Blackk) and new girlfriend Chloe Marsh (Kylie Rogers) discover the Vuvv are particularly fascinated with human love and will pay for access to it, they decide to livestream their budding romance to make extra cash for themselves and their families. Life is good, for a while, until the flame of their teenage love fizzles out and they’re forced to make very different, absurdly life-altering sacrifices for their families.
Dalíland is directed by Mary Harron and written by her husband John Walsh. Both have taken some time since their last feature length project. Walsh in particular has experienced a decade long hiatus from writing or directing before Dalíland. Harron and Walsh have collaborated on numerous projects dating back to 2008, however they were all shorts. This is the first full film together. Having a husband-and-wife team behind the scenes affords Dalíland an unique opportunity to examine love and marriage from a rare vantage point.
Harron and Walsh capture the essence of 1970s New York. The script allows the characters to show their range – from Dalí’s humor and absurdity to the madness inside both Dalí and Gala. Dalíland invokes memories of Almost Famous – with our protagonist able to pull back the curtain and see the truth behind the industry they love. Dalíland isn’t the perfect biopic. With Dalí’s career spanning decades, it is impossible to capture everything in a single film. Harron and Walsh chose an interesting approach focusing on Dalí and Gala. While doing so, they make sure to weave in numerous references to famous works and people from the era. This helps 
Dalí is a larger-than-life figure who still has a firm grasp in pop culture decades after his death. Kingsley’s portrayal does him justice. The mannerisms and small intricacies are fantastic and bring the character to life. Sukowa shines as well, embracing the turbulence as the marriage waivers. She plays Gala with a notable strength, yet moments of nurture that resonate. Harron seamlessly employs flashbacks to show the progression of Dalí and Gala’s relationship. In them Miller and Lvova provide a more delicate side that meshes incredibly well with the tumultuous relationship playing out in front of James. When the paint dries, Dalíland is certainly not perfect and leaves a lot off the canvas. However, the film does tell an entertaining and enjoyable story. It is worth a watch for Dalí fans and those curious about one of the art world’s most iconic personalities.
