Another Earth (Cahill, 2011)

[theoddball]

A fantasy/sci-fi drama that seems to have heaped massive praise in this year's Sundance. Director Mike Cahill's feature debut, starring William Mapother (Tom Cruise's cousin). LOST fans will recognise him as the character Ethan Rom.

IMDb page

Official trailer

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/qB50aBrHbu4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/qB50aBrHbu4&rel=1</a>

[fizz]

Is it fair to support a film only because it is different? Another Earth is cut from the same cloth as what is commonly labelled the art house film or as known to the cinematically savvy, independent cinema. It is contemplative and quite, thoughtful and intriguing, very low budget but above all, never unoriginal, which is reason enough to insist on viewing it.

To be fair, the film, about a great loss, a cautious romance and an ironic opportunity at redemption, is good because it constantly feeds you with ideas. Co-writer Brit Marling, who performs double duty playing the lead role of Rhoda, deserves heaps of praise for handling her characters delicate situation convincingly. As a college student, Rhoda is imprisoned for causing the accidental death of two people in a family during a night of drunk driving after being distracted by the sight of another Earth in the sky. Once released after her 4 year prison term is up, she tries to face John (William Mapother), the only surviving member of the family from the accident.  John never learned of her identify because she was a minor at the time and he now lives in perpetual mourning, but Rhoda’s guilt prevents her from revealing who she really is and their continuous encounters eventually lead to a relationship. The backdrop of this is an effort by scientists to initiate contact and possibly plan a trip to the nearby planet, now dubbed Earth 2, which piques the interest of both Rhoda and John for different reasons.

Director Mike Cahill, who worked with Marling on the script, uses cinéma vérité’s documentary feel to let the film remain natural looking and detached, and while this may be a turn off for some, it augments the scripts mysterious nature. While the performances aren’t always even and the Cahill’s direction is sometimes clunky, some of the heavy handed metaphoric motifs – Rhoda feeling alienated on this Earth and wanting to leave it for instance – only makes it more apparent that this is the work of first time filmmakers and therefore forgiveable.

To call the film science fiction is misleading. While it has the elements of the genre, it is never encapsulated by it and remains, on the surface at least, a relationship drama. The film is at its strongest when it is suggesting things to us. Could there be life on this other planet? What if we found out it was exactly identical to our own, right down to having the very same people? If that second question seems intriguing, then know that the film goes places with it, especially during the absorbing third act and also with its metaphysical ending, and because of this succeeds in lingering in your memory with probing thoughts and countless uncertainties. In its own introspective way, Another Earth is moving and delicate and only underscores that as human beings, we are life’s greatest wonder.

Rating: 4.5/5

[shariqq]

Watching this movie at the Picturehouse @ Reel Cinemas was like experiencing a slice of DIFF. The movie had an introduction by the manager of Reel, and the audience was very quiet and appreciative of the movie.

The movie itself would be the pride of any single day at DIFF, and perhaps even feature in the best of list. The reason I say all this is to highlight two things:
1) This is arthouse-indie the way we like (like The Man from Earth, and not the pretentious wannabe indie movies ala Little Miss Sunshine)
2) This is a very good movie.

What really makes this movie work are also two things:
1) The lead performance by Brit Marling. She is fantastic as the reclusive, closed Rhoda who can't get over the shock and guilt of what she did. From the opening montage and the references through-out the movie that point towards a lively & intelligent girl to the nihilist as we mostly see her, Marling is a delight to watch. As Fizz point out, she is the co-writer of the movie too, and this may have been the reason for her deep understanding of the character she plays. And this is one of her first performances in cinema!
2) The way the movie deals with the sci-fi aspect of it. Another inhabitable planet has appeared on the horizon that is eerily similar to Earth - what would the world make of it? What would the scientists do? What would the common people do? And what would the philosophists suggest? This sci-fi aspect of the movie is expertly woven into the movie, never over-shadowing the main focus of the movie, and neither being relegated to the backdrop for unexplained lengths of time (as lesser films do when dealing with multiple subjects).

The movie is not perfect, for it has its flaws, but these are few. A more seasoned director would have made it more timeless or hypnotic (ala My Joy), but it trumps those with a treatment & performance that is deeply satisfying to behold.

My Rating --> 4.5 of 5

[kaytee]

Damn, I missed it

[fizz]

Damn, I missed it

No you didn't. It's still running at picturehouse.

[kaytee]

Damn I missed the chance to watch it for free ... I'm never going to go alone and watch it now...also I'm in Mumbai till the end of the week...

[shariqq]

When you are back, if it is still playing at the Picturehouse, do try to catch it. Watching it alone (or not) will hardly matter... In fact, it may be better that way.

[X.]

We can this indie, absolutely; but "arthouse" is a stretch.

[shariqq]

Well, it is an art-film, isn't it? If not, how would you describe an art-house movie?

[X.]

ANOTHER EARTH is not an art film.

[shariqq]

And why not?

[X.]

There is no absolute definition for an "art film," and I am not foolish to get into a discussion on the definition of "art." But, from my point, it is difficult to consider ANOTHER EARTH as part of the same canon as, say, a Bergman or Dreyer film. In practical terms, the delineation between what is an art film and indie film is being blurred by industry suits who want the masses to believe that what they are experiencing is of substantial weight. EARTH is a well-made, articulate science-fiction *mainstream* drama whose pedigree was raised in the film business because it was funded through grants. And just because it played at Picturehouse (a supposed "arthouse theater") does not render the point moot. I also understand and have considered that the UAE only sees non-mainstream stuff during the film festival season, and anything outside that hallowed time induces special notices.

[shariqq]

Another Earth was made for $200,000. It screened at Sundance and received a standing ovation there. Fox Searchlight then picked it up for distribution. In this particular movie, at least, suits weren't involved.

When I was growing up in the 80s, India had a very prolific arthouse/parallel cinema movement that I was witness to. The distinction between an art-film and a commercial film was clear as day and night then, and I see it clear as that now. I see the same distinctions applying to world cinema too.

Art-movies, for me, are those that are clearly not commercial cinema. A limited production budget (which is usually evident from the scale of the movie, mainly due to the lack of the film's commercial prospects) and being a realistic character-driven movie. Of course, there are those that are more fantastical and abstract too. But what really sets them apart is them being clearly non-commercial, non-mainstream. And really, I don't see Another Earth as mainstream.

I haven't watched any Bergman or Dreyer, but I have watched many mainstream movies and many arthouse movies, from India earlier and from the world later, including those that were screened during the film festival season here. And I can confidently slot Another Earth with the latter group of movies.

[shariqq]

Damn I missed the chance to watch it for free ... I'm never going to go alone and watch it now...also I'm in Mumbai till the end of the week...

Kaytee, the Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) starts on 13th Oct. If you get the time to attend, screenings are at Versova & Sion.

Link to .doc of Screening Schedule

[X.]

I appreciate your position, Shariq.