Watch The Invisible Circus

The Invisible Circus is a 2001 drama film directed by Adam Brooks and based on the novel of the same name by Jennifer Egan. The movie follows Phoebe O'Connor (played by Jordana Brewster) as she tries to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding her sister Faith's (played by Cameron Diaz) death. Faith was a passionate and idealistic young woman who committed suicide in Portugal in the 1970s after joining a radical political group. Phoebe, who was only 11 years old at the time, has never been able to cope with the loss of her sister and feels compelled to retrace Faith's journey to Portugal and confront the people who knew her.

The movie opens in San Francisco in the early 1990s, where Phoebe is living with her parents and struggling to find her place in the world. She is disillusioned with her mundane life and haunted by memories of her sister, who was a free-spirited and rebellious teenager. Phoebe's father (played by Blythe Danner) urges her to move on from the past and focus on her future, but she is determined to understand what drove Faith to take her own life.

Phoebe begins her journey by traveling to Amsterdam, where she meets up with Wolf (played by Christopher Eccleston), one of Faith's former lovers who also belonged to the radical political group. Wolf is hesitant to talk about Faith and seems to be hiding something, but he agrees to help Phoebe find the other members of the group. Together, they travel to Paris and eventually to Portugal, where they encounter a colorful cast of characters including a hippie couple who run a fabric store, an enigmatic Frenchman who was Faith's mentor, and a disillusioned Portuguese activist who provides some insight into the political climate of the time.

As Phoebe delves deeper into Faith's world, she uncovers some troubling truths about her sister's life and the group she belonged to. She also struggles with her own feelings of guilt and inadequacy, as she realizes how much she idolized Faith and how little she truly knew about her. Throughout the movie, there are flashbacks of Faith's life that show her as a passionate and determined young woman who was willing to risk everything for her beliefs. However, it becomes clear that her idealism came at a cost, and that she was deeply conflicted about the consequences of her actions.

The Invisible Circus is a poignant and thought-provoking movie that explores themes of loss, identity, and the struggle for personal freedom. The performances by Jordana Brewster and Cameron Diaz are understated and nuanced, conveying the complex emotions of two sisters who are united by blood but separated by circumstance. Christopher Eccleston delivers a strong supporting role as the enigmatic Wolf, who represents the conflicting forces of love and betrayal that surround Faith's life. The movie is beautifully shot, with stunning scenes of Amsterdam, Paris, and Portugal that capture the atmosphere of each location.

Overall, The Invisible Circus is a compelling and emotionally resonant movie that will appeal to anyone who has experienced the pain of loss or the search for personal meaning. It is a tribute to the idealism and passion of the 1960s and 70s, while also acknowledging the darker consequences of political extremism. The movie provides a nuanced portrayal of the complexities of sisterhood and the struggle for self-discovery, and leaves the viewer with a sense of haunting beauty and bittersweet reflection.

The Invisible Circus is a 2001 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.5 and a MetaScore of 40.