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Earth 2 Close 4 Comfort?
“Another Earth” starts with an interesting sci-fi premise: the discovery of a planet nearly identical to the Earth, within our own solar system. Why hasn’t it been seen before? What are the gravitational effects of having it so close to our own Earth? Who lives there? First-time director Mike Cahill’s film mostly side-steps these questions in favor of a plot that’s fairly standard indie fare. A young woman (Brit Marling) on the cusp of entering college to study astrophysics acts carelessly one night, causing a wreck that kills a woman and young boy. After being released from prison years later, she meets John, the man she made a widower (William Mapother), and wants to make amends. But she can’t bring herself to reveal her true identity. Instead, she pretends to be a maid, cleaning his home while he recovers from a prolonged depression following the death of his wife and son. Curiously, he doesn’t question her flimsy excuse as to why his checks aren’t being cashed, and the maid service has never heard of her. Instead, he begins to fall for his caretaker, and her own spirits are lifted by bringing him some small amount of happiness. Hanging in the sky throughout the movie is the ghostly presence of Earth 2, as the planet is dubbed. The world, as it turns out, not only looks like Earth, but is an exact copy of our own world, right down to you, me, and the discarded Kleenex in that wastebasket next to your cubicle. Is the planet from another dimension? Why does it exist? And if you were to visit, what would you say to yourself? Ah, there’s the metaphor. Earth 2 is a mirror of our own world, asking us to look at ourselves, and…do what? Have a little empathy, I suppose. John, who has been missing his wife and son for four years, is attracted by the possibility of seeing them once again. But has he forgotten that his wife is still married to him up there? You know, the other him? In utilizing the sci-fi elements as a metaphor, Cahill and co-writer Brit Marling attempt to offer a statement about the elements of chance in our lives, of regret, missed opportunities. It’s a theme I felt was explored better in such films as “Sliding Doors.” Instead, “Another Earth” offers a fairly standard story of two people coming together in the wake of tragedy, and more dangling questions about Earth 2. ‘ANOTHER EARTH’ ON BLU-RAY “Another Earth” was shot on a very low budget; the filmmakers shot half the movie before even casting the role of John. I liked the gray, dreary palette chosen by Cahill, but was annoyed by the constant use of “quick zooms” that felt out of place and unnecessary. The HD presentation on Blu-ray serves the film well. The special features on the disc are all very short conversations with the filmmakers and actors, lifted from vignettes that originally aired on Fox Movie Channel. A set of deleted scenes is interesting because the director sets them up with an explanation of why they were cut from the final film. Footnote: Just announced this week was the discovery of an earth-like planet circling a distant star much like our own sun. Kepler 22b, here we come! 12/6/11
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