Love, Loss, and Aliens

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MOVIE REVIEW
Meanwhile on Earth (Pendant ce temps sur Terre)
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Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Year Released: 2024
Runtime: 1h 39m
Director(s): Jérémy Clapin
Writer(s): Jérémy Clapin
Cast: Megan Northam, Sofia Lesaffre, Catherine Salée, Sam Louwyck, Roman Williams, Nicolas Avinée
Language: French with English subtitles
Where To Watch: opens in select theaters November 8, 2024

RAVING REVIEW: In the world of cinema where high-octane space operas dominate (you know what I’m talking about,) MEANWHILE ON EARTH by director Jérémy Clapin offers a stark contrast with its introspective journey through loss and moral complexity. Here, we meet Elsa, portrayed with piercing sensitivity by Megan Northam. Elsa's world unravels after her brother Franck's (Sébastien Pouderoux) inexplicable disappearance during a mission. This isn't your average star-faring adventure; it examines grief's profound distortions on one's ethical compass.

The story unfolds in a picturesque French village, set against Elsa's emotions on display. This visual quietude, captured by the film’s subdued cinematography, serves as a canvas for Elsa's psychological seclusion. The plot propels us forward; one evening, Elsa receives a mysterious communication that she believes to be from Franck, sparking a flicker of hope in her heart. However, this beacon of hope soon morphs into a daunting challenge from the forest's shadows. This is a story of a raw look into the abyss those grappling with despair face.

Clapin anchors this expansive tale to the intimate scale of human emotions, exploring themes not with interstellar battles but through brooding silences and dissonant notes masterfully orchestrated by composer Dan Levy. The score and sound design weave a chilling atmosphere that blurs the lines between the alien and human, intensifying the film’s mood of isolation and dread.

Elsa’s portrayal by Northam is nothing short of captivating. Her performance reveals the depth of Elsa's internal struggle, as otherworldly ultimatums force her to confront her moral boundaries. The stakes are raised when Elsa contemplates the grim trade-offs required for a mere chance at mending her fractured reality, putting the viewer in the shoes of someone facing impossible choices about life and sacrifice.

Clapin further enriches the narrative with surreal sequences punctuating the live-action despair with bursts of creativity. These sequences do more than explore the unknown; they symbolize Elsa’s emotional escape, illustrating her mental voyage through the void left by Franck. This stylistic choice bridges the real with the imagined, providing a stark juxtaposition to the bleakness of her situation.

As Elsa interacts with those around her, the film probes the intrinsic value of life, telling a complex journey of existential thoughts and societal commentary. Clapin challenges the viewer to ponder deep ethical questions, navigating through murky moral waters that offer no easy answers. The film's pacing, reflective of Elsa’s emotional paralysis, builds slowly to a haunting crescendo, supported by visuals that frame the natural world as witnesses and companions to her solitary struggle.

MEANWHILE ON EARTH closes not with a typical sci-fi flourish but with a thoughtful, sad reflection on the human condition. The film delves into what it means to be human in profound loss. It’s a narrative exploring the depths of the human capacity for love, sacrifice, and moral ambiguity. This contemplative film leaves its audience with unsettling thoughts about the decisions one might face when confronted with the unfathomable. It paints a portrait of a woman caught between a past she cannot reclaim and a present that offers no easy resolutions.

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[photo courtesy of METROGRAPH PICTURES]

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