Review of Another Earth (2011) by Laurent M — 15 Nov 2012

There was something about this film all the way through the kept me completely detached from the characters. There were several scenes shot with a cinematic artistry, with a steady hand trying to tell a story with the camera, then it would switch to Documentary style full with shaky-cam and annoyingly distracting quick zooms. During those moments the camera kept drawing such attention to itself and the rest of the production value wasn't high enough to keep me from noticing it.

The script was only engaging when focused on Earth 2 and the events surrounding it. Much of the character motivations felt forced and unnatural and I am still reeling from the inclusion of the old Indian janitor and his place in this film.

Another Earth's two factors that made it worth watching were Brit Marling's performance and the last shot of the film. Between this and The Sound of My Voice, I hope Brit Marling gets attached to some better projects, as she's becoming one of my favorite actresses.

The very last shot was great. It took me a good 5 minutes after the credits rolled to figure it out but coming to the realization was extremely satisfying and fit perfectly into the only part of the script that really worked, which was everything involving Earth 2.