Music, Style & Culture

Another Earth

A stunning and original lo-fi sci-fi with a haunting performance from writer and producer Brit Marling.

Released in cinemas 9th December 2011.

Joining Moon and Monsters in a recent joyous triumvirate of original, imaginative and utterly fantastic low-budget sci-fi is Another Earth. Mike Cahill follows up his acclaimed 2004 documentary Boxers and Ballerinas by reuniting with his co-director, economics whizz-turned-screenwriter and actress Brit Marling.

Marling stars as Rhoda, a prodigious young woman who drinks too much after being one of the youngest students accepted into MIT's astrophysics programme. On the night scientists announce there's a planet heading towards Earth, she is distracted by the radio news, and crashes into another car, killing a mother and child and leaving the father in a coma.

Four years later, Rhoda is now a school cleaner, having served her sentence. The enormous planet is now a striking, permanent presence in the sky, and in one thrilling sequence, Rhoda and her family watch the broadcast as first contact is made. It turns out, as the film's title indicates, there's a duplicate Earth, with duplicate inhabitants - demonstrated by a deceptively simple but effective exchange of words between scientists.

The psychological complexities of knowing there's another you out there are portrayed insularly through Rhoda; the what ifs, the simple twists of fate that lead you on your path in life. A woman who wrecked so many lives by making a stupid choice is compelled by the planned mission to send shuttles to Earth 2. It's where the script takes some liberties; a 500 word essay competition is launched by a rich individual to enable civilians to make the journey, and the winning ticket appears to be less hassle to transfer than a plane ticket.

However, Another Earth's science fiction is a thought-provoking backdrop to the heart of the story - Rhoda's redemption. She seeks out John Burroughs (William Mapother), the survivor of the crash. She goes to the former classical composer's downtrodden, isolated, filthy home, but bottles out of confessing. As a minor, her identity wasn't made public, and John's coma meant he wasn't present for the trial, but it's still a stretch that he wouldn't know who she was. Under the guise of a house-cleaner, she pieces John's life back together, dangerously taking the relationship further.

Mapother is unusual casting, as the actor has danger bubbling beneath the surface. It makes for a fascinating, fraught relationship - one that is unethical and uneasy, but still genuine and heartfelt. Important plot devices are scripted a little clumsily, but there are some beautifully written moments, one of which is Rhoda connecting her scientific knowledge with John's musical passion by telling a Soviet space race anecdote. It's also the first time Marling smiles in the film, and once her demeanour changes, and she bonds with John, it shows the depth and the tenderness Marling can convey.

This is Marling's showcase - the fledgling actress is the very definition of captivating. She is utterly immersed in the film and the performance, having co-scripted with Cahill, and her performance is natural, understated and completely grounded in a sense of realism - essential for all good sci-fi.

Cahill shoots in a self-conscious "indie" manner, all hand-held cameras and lingering shots, but it makes for a fascinating contrast with the stunning, simple shots of Earth 2 on the horizon. It's the only "special effect" in the film, which creates a vivid scenario armed only with imagination. The choices and confessions Rhoda make lead to simply stunning ending, one that will provoke debate, and linger long in the mind. A gorgeous, haunting film whose effect may be more cerebral than its intented emotional, but the riveting, sympathetic Marling makes for a courageously flawed protagonist.

Rating: 8/10