Touted as a dramatic comedy with LGBTQ overtones, The Invisible Thread is a story that seemingly appears to be based upon a true experience. While there are some depictions that are based on actual events, the storyline is completely fictional. Regrettably, this movie is a hit-and-miss viewing experience that only comes alive towards the end.

The story is centered on an Italian high-school student named Leone (played by Francesco Gheghi). He is a stunningly handsome teenage boy living in Rome with his two fathers, Paolo (Filippo Timi) and Simone (Francesco Scianna). Leone is their surrogate child conceived by a combination of sperm from both his fathers and a female friend of theirs who agreed to be a surrogate mother when they all lived in the United States. Her name is Tilly (Jodhi May), and she has maintained a warm and loving relationship with all three of them over the years. Leone affectionately calls her Dede. However, neither one is sure who the father actually is, as a DNA test to determine paternity has never been done.

Leone is straight and well-adjusted even though his two fathers are a pair of high-strung and high-maintenance individuals. Over the years, Paolo and Simone’s relationship has stalled and has become so stale that Simone has been having an affair with another guy for two years. On the anniversary of their 20 years as a couple, Paolo finds out about the affair and pandemonium ensues. Simone leaves. All of it, however, is treated as something seemingly inconsequential and funny. I found it all sad and a bit bittersweet.

The movie falls apart in its lack of depth and seeing life so episodically. It simply jumps from one scenario to the next without any connection between them, which is ironic given its title. We really do not see, feel, or sense these characters until the end where there is a bit of an in-depth scene in the hospital after Leone is injured. It is only then that we find out who the real father is.

There is no time to feel who these characters are, and only at the end do they seem like real people. If there is a statement or purpose to this movie, it has simply escaped me. That does not mean it is not enjoyable; in places, it is. But it certainly is not memorable in any way. It is so full of trite setups and overworn cliches about gay people and gay relationships that whatever genuine humor is in it, is so minimal that you are likely to miss it.

While the acting is good, truthfully, there are no real standouts here. It is solid in places but less than memorable. I only saw characters. I could not feel any connection to them. They all felt too contrived to me and overdone at times.

It is the plot contrivance that drove it into the ground. If its aim was to show that gay relationships can end up just like other (straight) relationships, then perhaps it succeeded. But if they wanted to show the uniqueness of a long-term gay relationship failing, it did not. If they had explored the realities of what made this apparently loving relationship get stale, that would have added dimension. Perhaps, if the fathers had not been presented so stereotypically gay and therefore superficial, that might also have helped make them more relatable. And perhaps, if we could have seen a more in-depth Leone being scared or frightened as if he finds out who is father is or when his parents split up, maybe that would have made the movie more impactful.

It is hard to make a quasi-comedy out of a subject matter with such serious themes without a lot of finesse. Otherwise, it just looks like another Hollywood feigned movie. And for me, this was just another Hollywood-like movie that kind of left you feeling empty, certainly not smiling, and feeling like I missed being entertained.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Streaming on- Netflix

Edited by- Gingerjiejie