Second Earth, A Review

“If you met yourself, what would you say?”
“Better luck next time.”
 --Another Earth

The science of science fiction is rarely forgiving but its audience usually is. The indie film, "Another Earth," is a real challenge for indie fans, sci-fi fans and film buffs as it subdivides the film by a number of genres without committing to any--just enough to disappoint all of its potential audience subsets.

The story is that of a young woman with great potential who is involved in an careless accident that kills a woman and her child and seriously injures the husband. She goes to jail, eventually is released and tries to atone for her mistake by forming a relationship with the man whose family she killed. In the background is the appearance in the sky of a new planet that, as the story progresses, seems to be a parallel earth with people living lives parallel to their earth counterparts.

The science is vague, perhaps an accidental encounter with an alternative universe, but the focus upon the girl and not the society keeps the sci-fi element obvious but muted, like a stage whisper. The drama is quite good as the girl struggles with her guilt and searches for forgiveness. The development of her relationship with the injured widower is very well done, endearing yet disturbing. And the Second Earth hovers with its promise of new insights and a new life.

This is the first film of Mike Cahill. He co-wrote the film with its lead, Brit Marling, an attractive girl  but no Hollywood beauty with the unlikely background of working for Goldman Sachs. It is a good effort, well acted and well filmed on a $200,000 budget. There are significant problems with the Second Earth metaphor (if one dwells on it) and there is some self-indulgent nonsense like Ms. Marling's inexplicable American Indian co-worker. But the real difficulty is the significant questions raised by the story are not answered; the Second Earth is no rescue and that may be unsatisfying to those seeking a close encounter.