At The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall this week: Transport Yourself To 'Another Earth'

January at The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall concludes with another 2011 Sundance Film Fest gem in the form of low-fi sci-fi drama Another Earth, the directorial debut from Mike Cahill. Starring William Mapother (Lost) and Brit Marling (a regular collaborator on Cahill's previous projects) the narrative focuses on both the relationship of two people brought together by tragedy and a scientific discovery like no other.

Rhoda is a bright young woman with an interest in astrophysics and big aspirations to explore the cosmos. John, a brilliant classical composer, is at the height of his career with his loving wife about to expect their second child. After a serious accident, the lives of Rhoda and John become irrevocably intertwined not just by the tragic circumstances but more importantly by the inexplicable discovery of a duplicate Earth. Feeling a sense of separation from the world and the selves they thought they once knew, these two outsiders embark on an unlikely yet re-awakening love affair. But when a once in a lifetime opportunity is presented to one of them - to travel to the other Earth and embrace an alternative reality - the question becomes one of which life they will choose.


Developed from an idea of both Cahill's and Marling's as to what it would be like to encounter one's self and produced for only $200,000, this captivating film is a true representation of how an ostensibly sci-fi based story can be presented in the background with no need for flashy special effects, making way for an engrossing drama... and if ever you need a reason to see this film it is certainly for its jaw-dropping ending (no spoilers here). When it premiered at Sundance last year, Variety reported how it was hailed as "one of the more highly-praised picks, as it received both a standing ovation after the screening and a strong word of mouth from buyers and festgoers". The film also made it into the National Board Of Review's Top 10 Independent films of 2011.


Much like last week's Take Shelter this played the multiplexes for a limited engagement and is one American independent film not to be missed.


Check out the trailer below:

Another Earth (12A) runs from Friday 27th January - Thursday 2nd February 2012.