I Origins

Written, edited, and directed by Mike Cahill, I Origins is the story of a graduate student whose study towards the evolution of the human eye has him meeting a young woman who would lead him into a path of discovery as it relates to his research with the aid of his lab partner. The film is a sci-fi drama that explores not just evolution but also humanity in the eyes of a man trying to understand questions he is daring to ask. Starring Michael Pitt, Brit Marling, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Steven Yeun, and Archie Panjabi. I Origins is a rapturous and fascinating film from Mike Cahill.

The film revolves around a graduate student whose research into the evolution of the human eye would increase after a meeting with a mysterious young woman at a party where he would meet her again and later fall for her. It’s a film that isn’t just about obsession but also a man trying to see if there is any scientific explanation into the evolution of the human eye where he also want to disprove the ideas of faith and spirituality but not in a mean way. In the course of the journey that Dr. Ian Gray (Michael Pitt) would take, he wouldn’t just fall in love with this young woman named Sofi (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) but also be challenged by her in the ideas of spirituality. Yet, when his lab partner Karen (Brit Marling) makes a discovery that would prove his theory. Things would change as his time with Sofi would later haunt him for much of the film’s second half as he would go into a bigger journey.

Mike Cahill’s script has a unique structure as it play into Dr. Gray’s journey as the first half is about his time as a graduate student and his brief time with Sofi while the second half takes place seven years later where Dr. Gray has married Karen and would have a child. Yet, the program and ideas based on their research of the eye would lead to new questions as it related to not just images of what their baby would see but also into many bigger questions as it relates to matching eye patterns. It would lead to events in the third act where it isn’t just about Dr. Gray dealing with aspects of his past but also raise a lot of questions about if there is some kind of rational explanation as well as maybe there are things that can’t simply be answered.

Cahill’s direction is fascinating for not just the way he explores a man’s journey into his work as a scientist but also in the human aspects where he tries to make sense of the things he encounters. Shot on largely on location in New York City as well as India and bits of Boise, Idaho as it does have this sense of a large world as it relates to Dr. Gray’s research. While there are some wide shots in the film, Cahill maintains an intimacy as it relates to the drama where he uses some medium shots but also a lot of close-ups including extreme close-ups on the eyes. Cahill’s usage of hand-held shots and close-ups says a lot about what Dr. Gray is searching for as well as some very odd moments as it relates to the research and Karen would encounter. Also serving as the film’s editor, Cahill would create something that is straightforward with some montages as it play into Dr. Gray’s own thoughts and memories along with his own personal journey into his research which would take him to India in the film’s third act. Overall, Cahill creates a compelling yet mesmerizing film about a man’s research into the evolution of the human eye.

Cinematographer Markus Forderer does excellent work with the cinematography as it has some lovely lighting and interior shading for scenes set in the day and night in some scenes along with some of the low-key lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Production designer Tania Bijlani, with set decorator Grace Yun and art director Alan Lampert, does fantastic work with the look of the lab as well as the apartment that Sofi lived in as well as the home that Dr. Gray and Karen would live in. Costume designer Megan Gray does nice work with the costumes from the more casual yet nerdy look of Dr. Gray to the more stylish look of Sofi.

The visual effects work of Michael Glen and Vico Sharabani is terrific for some of the minimal moments in the film including a crucial scene that would play an impact into Dr. Gray‘s life. Sound designer Steve Boeddeker does amazing work with the sound to play into some of Dr. Gray‘s research as well as the moments in some of the gatherings he would go to. The film’s music by Will Bates and Phil Mossman is superb for its electronic-based score that includes some ambient textures and bass-driven pieces while they would also provide additional music under the Fall on Your Sword banner with music supervisor Joe Rudge adding music to the soundtrack from some classical to a couple of pieces by Radiohead.

The casting by James Calleri, Paul Davis, and Dilip Shankar is wonderful as it includes some appearances and small roles from William Mapother as a preacher Dr. Gray meets in India, Cara Seymour as a doctor/researcher Dr. Gray and Karen meet in the second half as it relates to their child, Venida Evans as a diary farmer Dr. Gray meets in Boise, and Kashish as a young girl Dr. Gray meets in India. Archie Panjabi is fantastic as Priya Varma as a community center head in India who helps Dr. Gray find a girl that has this unique eye pattern while being someone who asks him rational questions on spirituality. Steven Yeun is superb as Dr. Gray’s research partner Kenny who would provide many connections as well as create a database for Dr. Gray in his research.

Astrid Berges-Frisbey is amazing as Sofi as this beautiful young woman Dr. Gray falls for where she provides something that is exotic but also challenges him into questions of spirituality. Brit Marling is brilliant as Karen as Dr. Gray’s lab assistant who would help him in finding the research and eventually become his wife where she would get him to take the next big step into his research that would lead him to India. Finally, there’s Michael Pitt in an excellent performance as Dr. Ian Gray as a graduate student/scientist who is trying to see if there is something to the evolution of the human eye as he copes with falling in love and later more questions about everything as well as there is a chance to disprove the ideas of faith.

I Origins is a marvelous film from Mike Cahill. Featuring a great cast as well as captivating take on the ideas of evolution and spirituality, it’s a film that showcases one man’s fascination with man’s evolution despite his apprehension towards the ideas of faith and spirituality. In the end, I Origins is a remarkable film from Mike Cahill.

Another Earth

© thevoid99 2016

Another Earth

Directed by Mike Cahill and written by Cahill and Brit Marling, Another Earth is the story of a young woman who remains haunted by an accident that has shaken her outlook on the world. After discovering a planet that looks like Earth, she ponders if there is someone like her in that planet. Starring Brit Marling, William Mapother, Jordan Baker, Robin Lord Taylor, Flint Beverage, and Kumar Pallana. Another Earth is a very interesting sci-fi drama from Mike Cahill.

Four years after an accident that left two people dead, Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) has just been released from prison as she remains entranced by the image of a planet that looks exactly like planet Earth that is above in the sky. Unable to capitalize on her chance to enroll in MIT due to accident four years ago and refusing to interact socially. Rhoda takes a job working as a janitor at a local high school though many claimed she’s overqualified for the job. Still, it allows Rhoda to keep her mind away from things as she still ponders about the man named John Burroughs (William Mampother) who had survived the accident she caused.

Wanting to meet him and apologize for what she did, she goes to his home where she sees the depressed man at his home where she claims to work for a cleaning service. John lets her clean her home as a friendship starts to grow where the two talk about Earth 2 and other things. Though Rhoda wants to remain cautious about getting too close, things do intensify but also complicated due to the guilt that Rhoda is carrying. When Rhoda receives word about an essay contest that she entered that will take her to see Earth 2, she would make a decision about her growing relationship with John as well as the possibility of what is out there.

The film is about a young woman dealing with the guilt of a car accident that killed a man’s family as she is entranced by the appearance of another Earth. While it’s more of a dramatic film with some sci-fi elements, it is all about this young woman dealing with guilt and the idea that a planet could give her the chance to see if her life mirrors to what is happening to her or is it different over there. Screenwriters Mike Cahill and Brit Marling create a lot of these ideas about another world where people wonder if there’s a chance for a do-over or they’re seeing mirrors of themselves.

That is part of the focus on the story as it’s driven by this guilt-ridden young woman who had a lot of promise going for her only for this planet to arrive and change everything. The first two acts of the film start off strongly since the narrative does follow this young woman trying to figure out how to tell this man that she was the one who ruined his life. Of course, the narrative would require how would this woman would tell this man what she’s done where things do get messy in the third act. Largely because the film becomes a romance of sorts where it dwells into conventionality that leads to this expected moment where the result isn’t badly executed but doesn’t do enough to make it more powerful as it should’ve been.

Mike Cahill’s direction is definitely visually-entrancing for the way he creates compositions with moods to capture this woman’s anguish. The film opens with a scene of Rhoda partying and having a good time where it then leads to her looking at this blue glowing dot in the sky. The prologue is quite powerful as it then leads to this more dramatic narrative where Earth 2 is always appearing in the sky. Cahill’s direction includes a lot of amazing close-ups where he can say a lot but do it with such simplicity in the framing. A lot of it includes some grainy camera work from Cahill as he serves as the film’s cinematography to help create moods to let the drama play out as well in the editing that he provides where the jump-cuts and montages help play to the moodiness of the first two acts.

Cahill’s approach to the drama is also quite restrained until the third act where melodrama is expected but not handled in such a great way. The ending of the film is among one of the most frustrating elements depending on how one will interpret it. Yet, it does raise more questions about what Rhoda was looking for in that other planet. Despite the flaws the in the film’s third act, Cahill does make a compelling sci-fi drama that is willing to ask big questions.

Production designer Darsi Monaco does excellent work with the look of Rhoda‘s room in the attic to exemplify the simplicity that she craves for as well as the messiness of John‘s home to display his troubled mood. Costume designer Aileen Alvarez-Diana does nice work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual to display the development of the film‘s central characters. The visual effects work of Adam and Darren Fanton is superb for the way Earth looks up in the sky where it doesn‘t look cheap nor expensive for a low-budget film. Sound designer Ryan M. Price does wonderful work with the intimacy of the places that Rhoda encounters including the saw performance scene at an auditorium. The film’s score by Fall on Your Sword is a fantastic mix of ambient electronic music and low-key classical music ranging from piano pieces to somber string cuts.

The casting by James Calleri and Paul Davis is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it include memorable appearances from Jordan Baker and Flint Beverage as Rhoda’s parents, Robin Lord Taylor as Rhoda’s young brother Jeff, Meggan Lennon as John’s wife, and Kumar Pallana as an old janitor Rhoda works with. William Mapother is great as the depressed John Burroughs who displays a lot of restraint as a man who feels lost as he’s slowly coming back to life as a man and as a classical musician. Finally, there’s Brit Marling in a marvelous performance as the guilt-ridden Rhoda as Marling creates a performance that is mesmerizing for the way she deals with what she’s done. Notably as it’s a character who is flawed but also trying to find some kind of answer as it’s a true breakthrough for the newcomer.

Another Earth is a very good sci-fi drama from Mike Cahill that features terrific performances from Brit Marling and William Mapother. While it’s a very flawed film due to a messy third act, it’s also an ambitious one for a film that only cost $200,000 to make that dares to ask big questions. Notably as it chooses to infuse sci-fi ideas into a low-key dramatic setting. In the end, Another Earth is a film that is worth watching from Mike Cahill.

I Origins

© thevoid99 2012