blrnani I'm a big fan of Jessica Alba and was disappointed when the Fantastic Four franchise was dropped. I really expected more from this film, but the only mature performances among the main characters came from the reliable J.K. Simmons and 10-year-old Sophie Nyweide (who stole the movie for me). I realise that the parts played by Jessica and dad John Shea were difficult, requiring them to reveal glimpses of former brilliance along with the subtle emotional and mental damage (respectively), the combined effect of which turned mother Sonia Braga into a hag (a role that didn't do her justice either). Unfortunately, they both missed the mark and Jessica came across as simple almost to the point of retarded. The school head was a caricature figure, as was the 'bad girl' (an issue that was dismally not addressed). Indeed the whole film seemed a bit like a caricature, which is disappointing, since all the ingredients were there to produce something a lot better - a real missed opportunity. The best scene (apart from the maudlin ones involving Sophie) was when Jessica determines to find out what happened to JKS. I would really love to have liked this film more, but won't be keeping my copy.

Claudio Carvalho After a stroke of her father (John Shea), the weird Mona Gray (Jessica Alba) gives up of all the things she likes but mathematic expecting that her father will be better. When she is 20 year-old, she is expelled from home by her mother (Sonia Braga) to live her own life. Soon her mother lies to her friend Ms. Gelband (Marylouise Burke), who is principal of a school, telling that Mona Gray is graduated and she hires her to teach mathematic to the third grade. Mona Gray feels affection for the orphan Lisa Venus (Sophie Nyweide) and her odd behavior attracts the attention of the teacher Ben Smith (Chris Messina). When there is an incident at school, the life of Mona Gray changes for good."An Invisible Sign" is among the worst movies I have ever seen, with an awful and senseless story. The plot is imbecile, beginning with Mona Gray's mother expelling her daughter out of her home without any reason. Then Ms. Gelband hires a clumsy and unprepared teacher without checking her credentials or background. Instead of mathematic, Mona Gray actually teaches and is attracted by numbers. She brings an ax to a classroom with kids in a total irresponsible attitude. The corny and lame conclusion, with Mona Gray rehired by the school and easily getting the custody of Lisa is terrible. The worst is that, this is the type of movie that we see expecting to like it, but the awful story is unbearable independently of the cast. Last but not the least, Sonia Braga lost her beauty and is unrecognizable. The years are cruel for everybody!My vote is two.Title (Brazil): "Matemática do Amor" ("Mathematic of Love")

phoenix 2 So this is a film about a 20-year old woman, named Mona Gray, who teaches maths in a school and likes to be alone, and rather deal with numbers than people, because that's how she can deal with her father's mental illness. The story seems all right, doesn't it? And from the beginning of the movie, you think that it will be something like Amelie, well, not as good, but still, good enough. Well, I certainly thought so, at least. And I was wrong. Mona Gray is a loner all right, but she also acts oddly in every situation. And if the story was supporting that behavior, it wouldn't be a problem, but the film seems to focus on her relationship with a student (which is fine) and the romance between her and the physics teacher (which is not fine at all). Now, I haven't read the book, which I hope is better than the movie, so I can't make any comparisons, and I don't know if this is how the story should be, but still I didn't like it. The ending was good, so I must give some credit for that, and the performance by Alba was great and the costumes were really nice. But the narrative and the story line reaped the chance from the audience to understand the character, who can't develop well. So 3 out of 10, because I didn't enjoy it and I didn't get it.

carol_weaver-609-871154 This was unbelievably billed on Sky Premiere as a lovable comedy. I found it a load of badly put together claptrap smattered with some laughs, one of which was the hairstyle bestowed on Jessica Alba. I can see how Mona would be unbalanced by her father (and the hairstyle), particularly in the opening scene where he tells the story of a family who each agreed to amputation of one part of their body so that no-one would be killed. Her behaviour throughout the film, including 'tapping out numbers' was verging on psychotic rather than nervous and shy.Her mother came across as unbalanced too, when she told her to go because she couldn't help her dad, and allowed Mona to sleep in the street outside for three days with her possessions before having a cosy chat on the sofa together with her dad and saying that she had some savings that would get her a place. She couldn't have done that in the first place? She then lied to the headmistress of the local school saying that Mona had a degree, in order to secure a job for her. It seems that the headmistress didn't bother to check Mona's credentials (oo-er could that really happen these days?), then accused her of lying after the axe incident, when in fact it was her mother. The axe incident, where Mona ended up with an axe embedded in her leg, was the point at which my ever-patient husband finally conceded that it was a ridiculous film. Her mathematics teaching was run of the mill rather than inspired by a buff, and in fact I am sure that she was demonstrating maths too basic for the grade.Then there was Mr Jones, former maths teacher and present neighbour whose car she bombarded every year with eggs, for a reason which wasn't properly explained at first. When a reason was finally given, to the effect that he hadn't cared when her father fell ill, it wasn't really borne out by the flashback. He knew it was Mona who had bombarded his car, and yet he let it go unpunished for years despite his annoyance and ignorance of the reason. Really? Though it might be down to the fact that he, too, was unbalanced enough to be taking refuge behind numbers, in the form of pendants which told Mona how he was feeling every day. Was there anyone normal? Only the audience, I think.