Review of Another Earth (2011) by Jeff F — 25 Aug 2012

Just some questions as I watch, albeit in the middle of the film... [spoiler alert] ... Is this an elaborate Wii commercial? Just because there is another Earth how does that correlate to a duplicate individual - why would that be the first thing you think of? How would that even be plausible from a scientific point of view. Isn't this janitor the same guy who played a janitor in that Tom Hanks movie, Terminal? Why is he portrayed as some kind of wise sage? Nice story about the cosmonaut... but what impact does it have on the film's plot, its characters? Allegory of the cave falls flat... what's with this guy? There is another Earth, but this woman seems more fascinated by floating lint? Is this guy really playing a saw? Why is she getting emotional from this? Or is she so bored she is forced to think of the cosmonaut? Is this the most awkward kissing ever? Are intellectual people not able to have sex in any normal way? Why is she holding his head? Did he injure himself? Is this the worst pillow talk ever? Yes, we see she's getting sick... does the soundtrack have to go into horror-movie mode? Why the intimacy with the janitor in the hospital? Who is the guy who shows up with the basketball? Why is getting 'high' conflated with the second Earth? How does she suddenly get a space flight? Why is she walking into traffic? Who is this guy spouting pseudo-philosophy in the voice-over? So this guy is excited about her trip and then begs her not to go on the trip? Is this guy insane? So she's telling him the truth about the accident now and tells him it's her fault and that she killed his wife? What part of 'accident' is not understood? Are these her parents? Why are they such assholes? Why does she have no furniture in her room? Is she really running back to that guy's house? Now she's jumping through his window? Now he's choking her? Why is she talking about synchronicity? Has she read Jung or is she using the term in some obscure, unexplained way relating to Earth 2? OK... so she gives him the ticket? Why is she picking up a used happy-face sticker off the ground? Why is she walking around aimlessly? Is that really her other self from Earth 2 at the end or is she having a psychotic episode?

Summary: The film, at its core, is about some filmmakers who did some Photoshop tricks that put Earth in the sky. Someone thought - 'hey, this is a cool idea. Let's make this into a movie!' Then, they had to write the movie. They wrote a story about some mentally unstable people who can only focus on their personal problems while major historical events are taking place. It's a good allegory of most people's lives. However, it's a little like watching paint dry. The characters are dull. The plot is non-existent, self-conscious, and borders on ridiculous. The film-making oozes forced melodrama. At points, it seems like it could become some kind of camp horror film. Sadly, it would become ten times more interesting. Key dialogue is murmured incoherently. The key plot element, the winning of the trip to Earth 2, unfolds in labored storytelling. The cinematography is pretentious and trite in a 'I know I'm being artistic' way. Jarring zooms punctuate slow scenes. Changes in perspective add nothing. They got a soundtrack that tries to add some semblance of relevance to the action but is largely ineffective. Overall, a lot of amateur philosophy is aired out throughout the film that bears no relevance to the plot between the principle characters. Along with the bunk science, this film is an example of how cool ideas don't necessarily hold together with any coherence. I'm giving this two stars because despite its shortcomings, the film has beautiful photography and it's not the fault of the actors that they have little story to work with. They do their job.