Another Earth (2011)
Starring Brit Marling and William Mapother
Directed by Mike Cahill
I don't really have a whole lot either good or bad to say about Another Earth which unfortunately causes it to languish in the middle-of-the-road which isn't exactly a great place to be. A mix of a science fiction and character study, Another Earth takes place in the present (I'd assume) as a mirror image of planet Earth has taken residence in our sky. The planet not only has landscape features similar to ours, but also contains duplicates of every single person on our Earth. Obviously, this causes quite a stir with many folks, including young twenty-something Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) who enters a contest in order to fly to what is not-so-cleverly monikered Earth 2.
Rhoda longs to escape her world because she hasn't exactly had a past that fills her with pride. When she was 17, she was involved in a horrible car crash in which she hit Yale music professor John Burrough's (William Mapother) vehicle, killing his wife and young child. This sends John into a horrible depression which he still hasn't come out of four years later as Rhoda is released from prison. When Rhoda realizes that John is still living in her town, she decides to visit him and apologize for all the pain she has caused him. However, Rhoda's brave attempt doesn't work as she can't quite muster the nerve to tell him who she really is and instead pretends to be a cleaning woman. As she visits him week after week, an odd relationship develops with Rhoda's secret always looming over her.
The premise, though far-fetched, sounds very good, but it lacks a bit in execution. Unfortunately, I think the problem lies in part in the indie feel -- the lack of production money perhaps hurt this film a tad on the science fiction front. It doesn't help that Brit Marling and Mike Cahill's screenplay is peppered with both a few too many scenes of Rhoda moping around her house and a ridiculous subplot involving a blind Indian custodian who "teaches" Rhoda how to be a better woman. There's really never a point of respite from the grief and the constant heavyhanded nature isn't all that enjoyable to sit through even for only ninety minutes.
Also, while I enjoyed Brit Marling's performance as Rhoda, I never thought William Mapother brought anything to his character. Granted, I think the script didn't help him any by sticking him with a rather one-notish demeanor -- cranky, depressed man -- for the first sixty minutes, but I shouldn't have been laughing like I was at his portrayal of a crotchety guy.
Still, despite the faults, I admire Another Earth for at least being a little bit different. It takes a tale about grief and suffering and adds enough of a twist (and an interesting "hopefulness" thanks to Earth 2) that makes it intriguing. Add a great final moment (somewhat similar to one of my other favorite endings this year from the little-seen-film Last Night) and there are reasons to give this one a shot. While it'll likely end up with the very same "middle-of-the-road" feeling for you as it did for me, it's still an okay flick if you're looking for something a bit different.
The RyMickey Rating: C
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