Mike Cahill
Another Earth

THE REVIEW

"Another Earth" presents itself as an interiorized sci-fi that somewhat recalls the infinite monkey theorem; science fiction depicted with the metaphorical ends of the dichotomy between perception and matter. A low-budget film and the first feature by Mike Cahill, who cites "The Double Life of Veronique" as an inspiration (an analogy not very evident) and often opts for handheld camera work. Dark tones, mostly blue and gray, tell a story through the two main characters: a girl who, while staring at a second Earth that has suddenly appeared recently discovered by astronomers (which could be real or a reflection of the first) from the car window, inadvertently runs a stop sign and ends up hitting a music professor in the car with his family; and the latter, the only survivor of the accident other than the girl, who realizes he has lost his loved ones in the accident once he awakens from the coma.

Once the hypothesis that the second Earth is just as real and not a simple reflection is confirmed, and with the same people inhabiting it, the director and author introduce questions such as what we would say to our counterpart on the second Earth. Nonetheless, overall, both in development and in the basic idea, the film is not very original; and at the same time bears a strong resemblance to the more successful "Melancholia", with more apparent drama brought by the potential planet collision, which here has a more introspective and intimate form; although even the ending is not to be dismissed, as well as the development of the relationship between the protagonists.

Perhaps not too noteworthy considering the further presence of the poor "The Womb" soon to be released in theaters, a symptom of incipient inflation, once again with the exact same themes; but still saved by the decent soundtrack curated by Fall on Your Sword, and by some at least interesting anecdotes narrated by the characters, such as that of an astronaut who finds himself in his spacecraft with a ticking sound without knowing where it comes from, and realizing he cannot stop it, on the brink of a hysterical crisis, decides to fall in love with it, thus transforming it into music, narrated by the protagonist; to which the professor responds with a fascinating demonstration of the sound emitted by the musical saw (also known as the singing saw or bowed saw).