Oct 31, 2011

Another earth[2011]


Recently, I saw the trailer of Another Earth in a cinema and loved it- the idea was like nothing I've ever heard, it was edited in a good way, the main character seemed very interesting, so I wanted to see it as soon as I could!

I did watch it last night! To put it simply, as I said it on Twitter, despite it's numerous flaws, I kinda of liked it!

Let's go from the beginning! The film tells the story of a young girl who, one night, after a party, whilst looking for the new planet that was discovered, crashes into another car, killing the woman and the child and leaving the father in a coma. After 4 years in a prison, she gets out, determined to apologize to the man she ruined, but ends up not telling him, instead helping him recover. In the meantime, she wins a ticket to fly out to Earth 2, as it is now called. I won't continue the story from here, you should see it for yourself.

The main point I liked and what actually attracted me to this movie was the plot, the story itself. It was very appealing for me and I liked the idea of another earth, another me out there. All in all, the script was rather good, what bugged me was the directing! It was bad, it was amateurish, it looked like a 2nd year student film. Mike Cahill, I don't know you, but next time try harder. Update: Mike Cahill won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance for this movie- really? Is it just me?maybe I just can't appreciate it.

If you get past all of the bad camera shots, it is a rather beautiful movie. I loved the ticking scene and the violin-saw one, they  were lovely. Also, the recurring theme of dust just flowing in air was beautifully shot (for a change). Brit Marling, as an actress (she is also the scriptwriter and producer of this movie) was very good and has a certain distinct quality about her- she sometimes reminded me of Elizabeth Olsen! We should definitely watch out for this girl, she is a triple threat- actress, scriptwriter and producer- her new movie, The East, has a promising cast and an interesting synopsis!

To wrap up things, it was a great idea, but poorly made. Maybe if they would have brought in a more experienced director or a different cinematographer, this movies would have been a succes. But, still, a very good try! It shouldn't be on the top of your list, but if you get around to it, give it a go!

9 comments:

  1. This one seems intriguing. But maybe not for me.

    Great write up as ever Aziza!

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  2. I didn't like this as much as you. I thought Brit Marling was good, and there were some nice scenes between her and the male lead, but I didn't buy the relationship and was disappointed the film diverted away from the sci-fi elements. Also, some of the camera work was terrible. Disappointing.

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  3. Yeah, I agree, like I said, I hated the camera work, but it had its nice elements. I can see why you didn't like it!Thanks!

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  4. The trailer did intrigue me. Might give it a shot one of these days. Good one, Aziza.

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  5. @ruth: you should, it has its ups and downs, but a great idea anyway!
    @prasetyo: love the term- blog walking!very cool!thanks for dropping by!

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  6. Hi Aziza, I came to your blog from BonjourT and see you have a review for one of my favorite films at Boston IFF. I also did a review if you care to check it out.

    Brit Marling and the concept are the best two reasons to see 'Another Earth'. She deserves the acclaim she has received recently. I love the SciFi elements much more than the guilt Marling's character feels. Cahill mentioned some of his inspiration during the Q&A portion of the screening and he mentioned 'Double Life of Veronique'. For that alone I admire the direction the story takes.

    Thanks for the review.

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  7. Max, thanks for dropping by! I'm glad you enjoyed the review, like I said, the movie was very interesting! Great blog you have there, I will be checking it out in the future!

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  8. Didn't know of the movie till now, but the story seems interesting with a bit of Sci-Fi and emotional drama mixed up. Will check it out. Thanks

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  9. @Raghav: thanks so much for commenting, means a lot!The movie is good, the idea was original and that is why I wanted to see it!

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