Patrick Ogle
  • History and Current Events
  • An Explanation
  • Movies I have seen recently
  • Paintings & Other Art
  • My Witty Observations (Humor)

Another Earth, Not All Indie Films Are, Well, Watchable

8/1/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
Another Earth is proof that not every small film, not every indie film, is a brilliant masterpiece. Some of them are mundane drudgery. It isn't the worst film ever made and that is the best thing you can say about it.  It is professionally shot, it is paced reasonably and it has a basic premise that is interesting.

But, those things alone don't make a watchable film or a film where you won't hear audience members groaning and guffawing at various points (especially the predictable, eye-roller of an ending).

Why do indie films go wrong?

It is often  the same reason better-funded films stink up the screen; someone comes up with an idea but never bother to craft a story beyond that idea. With Blockbusters sometimes they decide to make up for lack of content with explosions. Indies often do it with pretension.

Another Earth has an interesting premise. Another world appears in the sky, apparently inhabitable. As this news is breaking a young woman, Rhoda, played by Brit Marling (who co-wrote this mess with director Mike Cahill), does something terrible throwing her life away and ruining another life in the process. But that is it. There is nothing much else to it. The idea of parallel worlds is given short shrift. The idea of redemption is made to seem as mundane as buying a Big Mac, fries and a Coke.

As the movie moves forward this other world figuratively and literally (it gets bigger in the sky) moves nearer. And the main character, Rhoda enters a contest to fly to this other world. I won't give away more details but, be aware, there are not many more to give away.

The problem here isn't the sci-fi. It is everything else. The most believable thing about the film is that this other, identical earth appears in the sky. Most of the dialog is forced and a great deal of the story is told via voice over "news coverage."  The people just don't do or say what you would expect people to do or say in these situations. The writers, at least, make an effort to explain the most ludicrous part of the plot but it still doesn't fly. How does someone not know who it was that killed his family? A lame explanation is given but it doesn't withstand much scrutiny.

The writing is stilted, the acting so robotic that it is difficult to tell if they are good actors or not (William Mapother was fine on Lost!). Every word out of Rhoda's brother's mouth sounds like it was written for a reality show (until the last words out of his mouth which ring more true).

This is a film that it is difficult to even come up with something to say about it; it is just so mediocre. It is a waste of effort and a waste of time to watch. You will feel nothing watching it and you won't think about it ten seconds after you leave the theater except to say "Damn, maybe I should have gone to see Captain America."
Another irksome thing about the film is that it really thinks it is profound. It oozes self-regard. It is not profound. There is no depth to the concepts approached. It has no charm and I challenge you to give a rat's ass about any character in the film (should you be unfortunate enough to see it).

I think the reason I wrote about this at all, because I take no joy in writing negatively about modest movies, is that I take issue with those who laud every movie that isn't about a super hero. Or any movie that can be labeled as "independent." I have seen a lot of such films in the past five years and their rate of failure is as high as Hollywood. They are not all good, many are mediocre and many will make you want to poke out your eyes (this one isn't quite that bad). The real question is why does this film get the distribution other, much better, films never see? I have seen great films, GREAT ones, that only made it into the dingiest big city art house theaters. How does Another Earth get the exposure they deserve?
4 Comments
RC Sennott
8/14/2011 05:30:50 am

question
You speak wirh such ahthority
What are your credentials?

Reply
Patrick link
8/14/2011 11:10:32 am

I need "credentials" to write my opinions about movies on my own, self-named blog? Wow you are really strict! Most actual full time critics who saw this hated it a lot worse than I did. It isn't a good movie. Have I seen worse? Hell yes, I saw "Sucker Punch".

I am a writer. I write about things. If you want to hire me for something? I'd be glad to send you my resume! It includes 6 years at a major newspaper and well over a decade working in entertainment in a variety of capacities. But really? No one needs "credentials" to give their opinion. If you liked this movie good for you (bad for people you recommend movies to)

Reply
talinoir
11/19/2011 07:50:42 am

I think you are one of those persons who expected the movie to be a "space adventure" to another planet, and who apparently now has to discredit the movie. Well, it's not one more "planet of the apes", thats true.

However, when the credits rolled, i spent hours to rethink what i just saw and how it could be interpreted. The story does a great job in not telling too much unimportant information. I also didn't feel that there was unrealistic storytelling, but instead a very credible analysis of a scattered mind - [SPOILER] i don't need to tell anyone that most of the pictures are not even reality - so of course in a sense they are not "the truth". There is not really another earth, and there was no real ticket sent from some space travelling agency. It's of course all in her head.[/SPOILER]

In my opinion "another earth" is a briliant masterpiece. Especially for people that don't enjoy todays mainstream flicks like Transformers, Thor, and the whole load of stupid RomComs.

Reply
Patrick link
11/21/2011 12:50:24 am

Yes, you are correct...I kept thinking, throughout the entire film; "where is R2D2? And what about the CGI apes!!".

Hey you liked it, good for you. But..."brilliant masterpiece". Really? The people who MADE this movie don't think THAT I am betting!.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Movies

    I don't think of these as "reviews." they may seem like it sometime but they are more just...impressions.

    Categories

    All
    2014 Best Picture Nominee
    Action
    American
    Animated
    Belgian
    British
    Chile
    China
    Comedy
    Documentary
    Drama
    Egypt
    French
    German
    Horror
    Independent
    Indonesian
    Iranian
    Irish
    Italy
    Lebanese
    Science Fiction

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2020
    October 2017
    October 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010

    RSS Feed