Another Earth: Want Sci-Fi? Watch Another Film

I watched Another Earth this week after it came up on a number of "Best of Independent Sci-Fi" lists.

It's Sci-Fi/Drama, and I'm OK with that. I'll gobble up Sci-Fi with a side order of anything. The Sci-Fi was there purely as tool in the drama plot, and although a very interesting concept, the way it weaved the two together at the end didn't work. 

[Spoiler Alert] What was going to be achieved by her grand gesture of letting the "boyfriend/widowed husband" take the trip to Earth 2 instead of her? It's not like he could tell his other self to shove off and then take his place back in his "old life". Weak. Period. To the writer's credit, the closing image presented an intriguing idea - the chance for a conversation with someone who has lived the life you would have if not for one terrible occurrence.

I must add a tip of the hat to Brit Marling for a solid performance, but the quite twisted Drama story tripped over its Sci-Fi premise as much as benefited from it. 

A great Sci-Fi idea is not just great on its own - it has to work with the plot in an inspired way. The Sci-Fi concept did create tension, but this movie is for Psychological-Drama lovers, not Sci-Fi geeks, and even the former could be disappointed. 

My Rating 46/100