Movie Details
| Title: | Extraterrestrial | |
| Director: | Nacho Vigalondo | |
| Year: | 2011 | |
| Genre: | Drama | |
| Times Seen: | 1 | |
| Last Seen: | 09.23.11 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (2)
- Open Windows
- Timecrimes
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 09.23.11 | Alamo South Lamar | This Screening is part of event: FantasticFest 2011 Nacho's new movie. Right before the film I had my expectations drastically redefined: There are no aliens. This is a dramedy set in one apartment. Don't expect Timecrimes. It's a romantic comedy. Don't expect much. It's funny to feel prematurely disappointed in a film a half hour before you see it, but also quite effective because I think I ended up liking it more than most. All the things said above are technically true; the alien ship is barely used for anything more than a device to keep the characters locked up together and could easily have been a virus or zombie plague or apocalypse or anything else. It's maybe a bad title considering it gives false expectations of aliens when they really are just the background setting. However, it's still a Nacho movie and even though it's really more about characters than plot, there are a ton of intricate little turns and clever predicaments that come from the characters' actions. It's also pretty funny and while I didn't come close to tearing up like in A Boy and his Samurai (fuckin kid actors losing their father figures), it's a bit touching at the end as well. Just a bit. Talking to Micah, I guess the short that this is based on is very similar. I can't really remember whether I'd seen it or not. In the Q&A, Nacho let slip a few tiny details about the film he's trying to do next. It's called Windows and he wants it to take place in real time, in one continuous shot, where all of the action - and there will be big action sequences - takes place on a laptop screen. Like via youtube, instant messenger, skype, etc. He immediately followed with "I'm tired of this film already, it's going to be so hard." It's certainly an interesting idea although these limited storytelling experiments rarely work out. Even a movie like Burial with Ryan Reynolds, I believe I respected the director for pulling the premise off more than actually enjoying the film. But anyway, we'll see. I'm sure in the hands of Nacho it'll be worth watching, as this film certainly was. Just don't expect aliens. |
