Another Earth

A mumblecore sci-fi whose hook proves to be a false lure into a disappointingly dull and false-feeling story with little merit for fans of emotional drama or science fiction.

The hype…
Beyond a little web chatter, there wasn't much out there singing the praises of Mike Cahill's feature debut: a sci-fi mumblecore journey into alternate worlds. The visuals in the trailer look stunning though and the recent news about a planet similar to Earth being discovered have given this release some topical impetus.

The story…
After celebrating her high school graduation and acceptance into the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rhoda (Brit Marling) begins a somewhat intoxicated drive home.

As she drives on, the radio delivers the news that a strange blue orb has appeared in the sky, As she peers from her window to gaze at the celestial object, she takes her eyes from the road and ploughs straight into an oncoming car. The man inside is celebrated composer John Burroughs (William Mapother), and though he survives, his wife and child are killed.

After a stint in prison, Rhoda tries to return to normal life. But with the revelation that the blue object in the sky appears to be, as the title suggests, 'another Earth', she wonders about what might be different up there. Meanwhile, there is a chance for redemption on her own planet too.

The breakdown…
Sci-fi fans, be warned: the science of the film is ropey at best, and the actual investigations into the materialisation of another Earth, as well as the fertile theories of parallel universes, are barely delved into here.

In fact Cahill's film is a slow-paced, sparsely dialogued portrait of a depressed woman wondering what might have been.

For her part, Marling does a wonderful job of displaying the inner torment of a girl who threw so much potential away. And as she finds her (slightly clichéd) route to redemption, Marling captures much of the angst and turmoil of her character as she struggles to find a route to what is right.

She's aided quite considerably by a few stunning shots from Cahill, who acted as his own cinematographer on the film. Scenes in which a character strolls along, deep in thought, are, it seems, greatly enhanced by a rugged coastline and second Earth hovering low in the sky.

But once we get into the nitty gritty of Rhoda's attempts to make amends for the past, we end up in poorly scripted and awkwardly acted territory. Mapother is a major burden in this area, hamming up his downtrodden former composer to the extent that he becomes some sort of urine-soaked bag lady.

He's not helped by the fact his character has little more than a stated (but never seen or heard) artistic talent and a tragic loss to play with, or the failure of Cahill to conjure any visible chemistry between his leads. It seems a forced game of Wii boxing doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to generating emotional tension. Who knew?

But even if you're not so put off by the shallow character interactions, and get sucked into the wallowing on what might have been, you'll probably find the inane conclusion something of an anticlimax.

The verdict…
Aside from a few pretty shots, this isn't much of a sci-fi. The premise is never investigated in any depth. And even the character drama lacks any real edge, a problem enhanced by a lack of chemistry between the leading actors. Watch Another Film instead.

Rating: 2/5

'Another Earth' is due to be released in the UK on 9 December. Certificate: 12A.