(Lots of spoilers ahead.) Movies involving aliens are often very moving for me. There's just something about the idea of there being something out there in space... and there's... well, not to be punny, but something very universal about the fear of the unknown that could be out there. Those are big themes, but ones that ring very true for me and always affect me strongly when seen in movies.
That's the part of this movie that captivates me the most. When Joe's mother dies, he's forced into those bigger themes and is left a little isolated from the people around him. The movie never pushes this point (which I appreciated) but it's clear that he suddenly feels much more alone in the universe than he has been up to this point. The parallel between him and the scared lonely alien isn't belabored, but for me it was what made the movie fascinating and, in the end, very moving. As both are finally released from their captivity (whether physical or emotional) and manage to find their way back to security, I found myself tearing up a little bit. (It certainly helped that the visuals of that final scene are kind of gorgeous.)
Anyway. This is a much longer review than I usually write, but I had a lot to say. Heh. I feel like this is a movie that would be worth watching again. I felt the first 2/3 of the movie a little slow, but now that I found what I suppose I could refer to as "my theme" - the idea that connects the movie to me - I would love to be able to retrace it through the movie. 4 stars.
Best Part: That final scene. Beautiful both visually and emotionally.
Worst Part: I never did care for pyromaniac firecracker kid...
FlickChart: Landed at #357, right below Grave of the Fireflies and right above Garden State.
1 comment:
This is kind of a fascinating insight into how differently the same movie can appeal to people who bring in different "favorite" elements.
I loved the movie for the first 2/3, and the last 1/3 was where it kind of fell apart for me - largely because the things that I liked best were the filmmaking parts. The scene with them filming on the platform before the train crashed was my favorite part of the whole movie.
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