Movie Plot Summary:
Another Earth” was being linked to “Moon” long before anyone had seen it. Wishful sci-fi movie fans are constantly seeking the next smart low-budget genre film that trades in a lot of special effects for well-written science fiction, and thanks to mind-bending vets like “Primer” and “Moon,” the Sundance Film Festival is one of the places to occasionally look.
Going by the synopsis, “Another Earth” seems to promise similar elements of space travel and doppelgangers. But what it actually delivers is only illogical background details on the discovery of a counter-earth, which unexplainably is moving closer to our own planet, as a way of raising “what if?” hypotheses for the film’s main characters, survivors of a car accident drawn together by guilt and deception.
In short, it’s just a familiar grief and remorse drama set entirely on Earth than a modern day “Journey to the Far Side of the Sun” (which could do with an indie remake). Both Slashfilm and Gordon and the Whale beat me to the punch in calling the film a sci-fi version of “Bounce.” I’d have preferred another “Sliding Doors,” if we must think of Gwyneth Paltrow movies.
As a moody romance drama, it kind of works, though it’s highly predictable and never feels entirely believable. However, the sci-fi stuff requires much more suspension of disbelief, and any intelligent fan of the genre is going to be counting plot holes and asking questions by the score. Even the last minute, viewed by some as the best or only good part, left me more frustrated in how gimmicky and wannabe twisty it is.
To be completely frank, if anything “Another Earth” is most like a super low-budget M. Night Shyamalan film without any of the suspenseful moments that have made his films tolerable in the past. The way we learn significant things regarding the discoveries of and communication with the other planet could have been more thrilling (parts of the film had me wanting it to actually be more like “Signs,” which should say something), and the address of counter-earth theory and the philosophical ideas associated with it should have been more in-depth.
Not without its fans, “Another Earth” might be the most divisive film of Sundance this year. People seem to either really love it or really hate it. I think the latter is made up more of geek blogger types wishing it was better sci-fi (whether that means smarter or more prominent) and the former is people focusing more on the drama, themes and performances. I find myself in the former category.
For a more interesting Sundance ’11 film with a slight sci-fi element, I’d recommend the light documentary “Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles,” which follows an investigation into a history of an enigma involving street art and scientific theories about resurrecting the dead on Jupiter. It’s only as sci-fi as a non-fiction film can get, and there is nothing more than reference to theories. But for a sci-fi fan, it’s a whole lot more satisfying than the minimalism-as-underdevelopment thing going on with “Another Earth.” Fans of “2001: A Space Odyssey” and the puzzling Internet phenomenon of alleged time traveler John Titor will at least be able to appreciate certain aspects of the detective doc. That could be the film sci-fi fans are looking for.
Movie Review:
I was one of those who gave Another Earth a standing ovation at the premiere. I live in Park City and have been attending the Sudance Film Festival for five years. I have attended several premieres, including those of The Runaways, The Girlfriend Experience, Finishing the Game, Splice, and The Cove. While The Cove had me in tears, Another Earth has been, perhaps, the most compelling experience of my time at Sundance. Watching a film at Sundance is something like watching a gymnastics floor routine in the Olympics. The routine starts and the music is engaging. The athlete lands the first stunt. You lift your eyes from the chips and salsa in front of you and watch a little more closely. The athlete lands another stunt. The audience applauds loudly.
The announcers seem intrigued. Your attention becomes fixed to the screen. Another stunt. Perfect. You realize this could really be something special. And then comes the final run. A jump. Flip. Perfect landing. Your heart leaps and tears well up in your eyes. You realize you have witnessed something truly outstanding. That was the premiere of Another Earth. I’m not one to get choked up in a film. Viewing the film with my younger sister, who was visiting from San Francisco, I tried to hold back the tears. But, sure enough, they came. Another Earth is a film you have to see. It’s beautiful, it’s moving, it’s inspiring. Sundance seeks to inspire, and, in the years I’ve attended the festival, it has, on occasion, done this. But not to the degree of Another Earth. It’s a film to be seen and pondered. And to let inspire you. As you truly witness something remarkable.
Main Cast And Crew
Cast: William Mapother,
Brit Marling,Jordan Baker,
Flint Beverage,Robin Taylor
Director: Mike Cahill
Writers: Brit Marling, Mike Cahill
Production Co: Artists Public Domain
Release dates: 4th May 2011
Country: USA
Language: English
Genres: Drama
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