Audio Reviews - Another Earth - Audio Review

Tags:  movie review, audio, spill, spill.com, another earth, mike cahill, brit marling

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  January 26, 2012 at 12:15 AM, said ...

  Just Netflix'd it.  Nice movie.  I'm not much on indie movies, but I feel that a big budget studio film would have taken the heart of it.  I felt sadness for both main characters, that events and life had punished both .  I initially cringed at the path she took, a fearful one, . . but they did what they had to as broken people mending . . . again, pleased not to have the holiday big drama.  Staple of the times, watching this at home, I paused several times to look up the theories for their twin . . . but then, . . . it was all about the characters and not about the mysteries.................

• November 27, 2011 at 9:48 PM, said ...

  I just watched this and I am absolutely with Cyrus and Co-Host on this one; I love low key and low budget films at the best of times and I was so impressed with how the whole idea of this other earth was really almost a backdrop to the main story about these two lonely characters, both in their own way finding redemption through each other. Brit Marling (I think that's her name) is not only excellent in a let's face it not particularly easy role to pull off and the fact she co-wrote this too signals her out as a major talent to behold on both sides of the camera. Props to too William Mapothy as the grief-stricken composer and to the director and other writer of this film (sorry not sure of the name without looking it up right now) I love movies that make you think and this one is still resonating around my head and I have a feeling it will be for sometime. Almost put me in the mind of say "Moon" which I saw recently and also enjoyed.

   

  And it absolutely solidifies what we all know already and that is the presence of a good idea with a good scipt and performances and all of the things that go with the craft of making a good film will ALWAYS win out over lazy, bloated, big if not extravagently-sized budgets that could wipe out world debt and all the rest of the abhorent tropes that go with your average cranked out formulaic Hollywood dogshit. And I have nothing against big budget popcorn fare when it's done right or even with some sort of effort on the people involved.

   

  A low Full Price rating from me but damn it's still a a Full Price all the way - more please

   

  P.S. I absolutely loved the denoument of this film too

  
  
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  September 14, 2011 at 2:19 PM, said ...

  Great review guys. it nice to see movie review give a voice to Indy movie that too often swap under the radar. movie like the one you review should be given more recenition as well as more movie theater releases and not be push aside for hight budget movies what a so bad they do not even deserve a  D.V.D release

• August 20, 2011 at 6:01 AM, Adam L Brinklow said ...

  Well what does it prove that other people liked it? Someone somewhere likes every movie, but we judge the quality of a film (and everything else) by our own sensibilities, not someone else's. The film has a burden to bear in engaging its audience in a certain way, and as that audience, it's up to me to decide whether I think it did that. I don't. It just plain didn't feel genuine. When I look at these two people onscreen, I ask myself, is there anything about their interaction that seems like it would bring a man out of the depths of despair? If there is, I don't see it.

   

  Now, the Wii scene I pick on just because it's the best example of what I consider this movie's failing, and because it was just plain silly. But to say that it's not an important scene is a little disingenuous. This is, after all, the turning point in their relationship, the first time they interact in a vaguely human way and the first time that Cahill's character comes even slightly out of his shell. I didn't buy it because, A) as already mentioned, I just didn't believe that this is something two real people would do in these circumstances, and B) the carpets don't exactly match the drapes, if you get me. By that I mean, the tone of the film and the weight of the moment simply don't correspond to the really ridiculous thing that we're watching. Compare this to the telescope scene, which is much more successful. Alas, that it comes much later in the film and at a less important moment.

   

  Now, I forgot to mention the ending last time; I'm trying hard not to spoil this for anyone who might read the comments without having seen the film, but you can't very well tell me that anything about that reveal makes sense. If "the event" leading up to that moment had occurred, how is it that it wasn't on the news? How had she not heard about it? How was every other person not stopping her on the street after recognizing her (as they would, had "the event" received the degree of coverage that it reasonably would). How is it that that person would just be out and walking on the street without any escort or any media attention? The only answer to these questions is simply that the movie wills it to be so so that it can have its "surprise" ending.

   

  "Another Earth" is a compelling premise married to a story that is almost as unpleasant for the audience as for the characters. You may argue that it's just "that kind" of movie, and yet, movies about guilt, and regret, and emotional anguish, and enui don't have to be this miserable to sit through. Tragedy is supposed to provide catharsis for the audience, but when it fails to do that it just inflicts negativity on an audience to no end. It's like going to the dentist and having him pull the wrong tooth.

  
  
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  August 19, 2011 at 4:02 PM, Derek Duquette said ...

  ...again seeing how the script did a great enough job to make countless other people care about the two leads and their relationship, then it again seems to be your own opinions towards them, there actions, which isn't the directors/writers fault if you, even though most others feel the opposite, don't like them or the way their relationship evolves. Not even sure why you are even bringing up the Wii scene...it is a single scene that is more just playful and in no way pivotal to the rest of their relationship, and given this generation and reality...something like that could most definitely happen and would be in a very simple sense a way for two people to 'break' the tension. If you don't feel like that is true, well again that is on you not the writer.

  
  Also you are not supposed to sympathize with Marling, especially that scene, this coming directly from the directors mouth at the Q&A I attended. She knows how wrong it is, she in a sense wants to feel bad/guilt because she doesn't want forgiveness, hence why she doesn't do or say much and is a janitor. Her entire goal is helping him, making him feel better in anyway in an attempt to make up, in any way, for what see did. That scene is just another nail in the coffin in what from a distance is a terrible, in terms of the secret she is keeping, relationship but that was the point. And I couldn't disagree more about 'heavy handed' or 'artificial' positive feelings. You can question the scene with the elderly janitor, but when you actually think about the character, how it reflects her, the moment in the hospital, the thing she writes on the hand (forgive) it is a very emotional moment and important, and maybe could have been done in another way it still is in no way something that takes away from the rest of the film.

• August 19, 2011 at 6:26 AM, Adam L Brinklow said ...

  Well, yes, of course, there was more to it than that. However, that's a pivotal scene, and it fell flat for me. We're familiar with scenes in movies in which a shared activity brings people closer together: rowing a boat, painting a house, digging a garden, there are as many variations as there are scripts. This movie gives us...two people in dowdy knit caps Wii boxing each other. It was not quite the stuff that emotionally compelling cinema is made of.

   

  Actually, if I didn't like the characters, that would be the movie's fault, as it's incumbent on the film to make me like them. But in reality, I was invested in the character's from the get-go. It's their burgeoning relationship that I didn't buy, and while the movie succeeded in convincing me to forgive the Brit Marling character for, ya know, vehicular manslaughter, I was increasingly horrified by her actions in regards to Mike Cahill's character, to the point that after "that one scene" (you know the one) I just had to throw my hands in the air and give up.

   

  The calculated precision and affected sterility of the atmosphere and cinematography (which was, devil's due being paid, quite good) bleeds over into the script. This is a movie full of frigid, alienated people living in quiet anguish, which is fine, except that the arch to make them feel more human never seem genuine. Positive feelings in this movie come about from forced, heavy-handed, artificially-induced means (Zen-like wisdom from the previously mute elderly janitor, out of the blue? Um, okay...). The cold fish simply do not warm up.

  
  
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  August 18, 2011 at 10:14 PM, Derek Duquette said ...

  @Adam...they certainly did a lot more than play Wii boxing. They had more than one emotionally intimate moment, and both where 'hurt' individuals looking to fill some sort of void in their lives. Your 'analysis' of their relationship comes off more as if you didn't care for them from the get-go, which isn't the script or director's fault but your own.

  Also the ending did make sense.

• August 18, 2011 at 8:23 AM, Adam L Brinklow said ...

  Wow, I'm totally not with the crew on this one, I thought this movie just fell on its face. The problem is that I just plain did not buy or care about the relationship between the leads. They were a couple of frigid people who started to care about each other solely because the script said so. What, we're supposed to believe they have a profound relationship because they played Wii Boxing together (no, seriously, there's a scene where they bond by Wii boxing each other)?

  
  This felt like someone had a dull indie drama script and decided to punch it up with a more or less unrelated sci fi background element that sits in the background and does not a whole lot until the end. The surprise ending that Cyrus and Co Host were so excited about is not only not that surprising, it just plain doesn't make sense (wouldn't there have been something on the news about that?). 

  
  
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  August 18, 2011 at 7:36 AM, said ...

  Dammit, you guys. This trailer already had me itching to see this film. And now you gotta go and say it's great? I got too many films on my must-see, list, man! But once this hits netflix, I'm going to have to sit my ass down...

  Also- very awesome that you guys're reviewing some of the indies! When I first began listening in a year or two ago, I'd been hoping for it, and if you ask me you've been managing to sprinkle in more of these indie flicks into your lineup, so I'm real pleased. :)

• August 18, 2011 at 7:18 AM, fasteddie_felson said ...

  this is goddamn great you guys, who are so non pretentious, and enjoyable movie critics finally are starting to do all the indy movies too! You all didn't use to cover great indy movies like Attack the Block or this type of art house film I love it! That and now the itunes sync for podcast this is a great site already, and is getting better all the time. Thank-you.

  
  
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  August 18, 2011 at 4:29 AM, Mr. Bowler said ...

  Glad you liked the film. I saw it back at SXSW and liked it then, although maybe a bit less then you guys. Honestly wasn't sure what you guys would think about it considering some your reviews of other slower moving art films.

• August 18, 2011 at 3:45 AM, David said ...

  LOL Cyrus "Sliderssss..."

  
  
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  August 17, 2011 at 8:26 PM, av308 said ...

  These movies only play at a few theater.  Never heard of this, guess i'll see it on dvd.

• August 17, 2011 at 6:06 PM, said ...

  havent heard about this movie but now i definitly wanna see it

  
  
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  August 17, 2011 at 4:06 PM, Mike said ...

  A movie like Gattaca? I really want to see it now. I agree that Never Let Me Go wasn't that good (had the same problems as the book).

• August 17, 2011 at 12:54 PM, Travis Pickle said ...

  i'm in

  ;)

  
  
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  August 17, 2011 at 8:07 AM, Julien Howard Hemmendinger said ...

  Judy Moody And the not bummer summer officially the missing review.

• August 17, 2011 at 7:25 AM, said ...

  I'm so mad right now. I've wanted to see this since the beginning, and hearing that its awesome makes me even more mad that the movie isn't playing in any theater near me! This and Attack the Block, Tennessee needs more legitimate sci-fi films instead of this Transformers crap. I want to see this so bad.

  
  
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  August 17, 2011 at 6:44 AM, Akira J said ...

  Sounds good!

   

• August 17, 2011 at 5:52 AM, Jack Martine said ...

  SOLD !

  
  
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  August 17, 2011 at 5:09 AM, dvd6441 said ...

  Wait why are you guys comparing this to Bayformers?  Having seen the trailer this has more in common with the TV show LOST (Ethan might have something to do with it).

• August 17, 2011 at 5:06 AM, Derek Duquette said ...

  Was able to see an early screening to this with a Q&A with the director and star Brit Marling. Thought it was a fantastic little sci-fi/drama gem. Director Mike Cahill mentioned at the Q&A that much of it was made with friends and family, the house in the film is his mother's and his mother plays Rhoda's mother. The effects where done by small studios and the music was by friends and a small band the director knew. None of this shows though, the effects are very realistic, the camera work and visuals are wonderful and the music was great. This is one of the main reasons why I loved it so much. This is a perfect example of real passionate filmmaking, where a small group of talented individuals get together and even though they have little funding they are dedicated enough (Cahill mentioned William Mapother received no pay) to produce something that rivals most main stream dramas and even science fiction films coming out this year in terms of ambition, creativity and the ability to make a small but simple and poignant drama. Glad you guys enjoyed it, and I really hope it gains a following on DVD. 

   

  Also Brit Marling was recently cast in Robert Redford's new film, and was approached by Tom Cruise for a role but was unable due to scheduling. It doesn't surprise me given her talent, and I can't wait to see 'Sound of My Voice' which see also starred in and co-wrote that played at Sundance along with 'Another Earth'.

  
  
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  August 17, 2011 at 4:34 AM, Ayanna Sims said ...

  I really want to see this movie...I just don't think the little movie theatre near me will be showing it...or if any of my friends even know about it. Heck, I'll find a movie theatre showing this, I really wanna see it!

• August 17, 2011 at 1:33 AM, Garrett Green said ...

  I was wondering about this and you guys sold me on it. Good review

  
  
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  August 17, 2011 at 12:49 AM, said ...

  Nice crisis on infinite earths reference co-host. XD

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