Film Reviews

Another Earth

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: William Mapother
• Details: US / 92mins (12A).

A low budget (and when we say low budget, we mean no budget) sci-fi/fantasy can go one of two ways. It can go down the Primer route and present a sci-fi movie that may be light on special effects, but in its place is a mind-boggling story that would have Philip K. Dick scratching his head. Another Earth veers towards the latter and although it isn't as complex as a Dick story, it does get into heavy themes like guilt and redemption.
Rhoda (Marling) has a bright future in front of her: she has been accepted into the prestigious MIT's astrophysics program just as the discovery of a duplicate earth enters the solar system. Thoughts and theories abound: is the same 'up there' as it is down here? Will there be another chance on another planet? What's the other me like? As NASA scramble to secure means of sending a rocket to the planet, tragedy strikes Rhoda: while she drives home one night, she crashes into John Burroughs' (Mapother) car, killing his pregnant wife and daughter and putting him in a coma. After serving her prison sentence, a guilt-ridden Rhoda turns up at John's door years later and offers her services as a house cleaner…
In an era of loud, lightweight, action-heavy and overlong sci-fi movies, comes this moment of introspective and deep quiet. Calling Another Earth sci-fi is true but there are no zap pow wallop explosions to speak of; director Mike Cahill, working from a script he co-wrote with his lead Marling, is a downbeat drama first and foremost. A mopey affair, it's not hard to see why these characters are so depressed and rarely talk but it doesn't make for an intriguing watch and the drama just doesn't have enough going on to keep interest levels high. A phone conversation between this Earth's spokesperson (Ciesla) and their Earth's spokesperson fails to have the mystery and excitement Cahill and Marling hope; mostly that's down to the fact that we know we're never going to get to see the other Earth.
Shot in blues and greys, Another Earth is a cold-looking film whose pace can plod. Unfettered by speedy action scenes, Cahill slows everything down further still to get inside the heads of his characters. Getting to know them, however, still isn't easy.
While raising interesting questions, Another Earth's reluctance to kick into a higher gear proves its undoing.

Review by Gavin Burke