From Director Mike Cahill known for 'Another earth' and 'King of California'. Two completely different kind of films. King of California is about a girl played by Evan Rachel Wood whose father is Bi-polar and been away for most of her life and comes back to live with her. A really funny film withfacetious elements out of what could be seen as a negative situation. It is light hearted and shot beautifully. In contrast Cahills other films such as 'Another Earth' and 'I origins'. The only word that could sum up his own little genre of films is numinous. If you have ever had that feeling of being hollow or derealisation when staring into a mirror and not remembering why you're on earth and who you are; this is the kind of feeling I get from his films. A rare feeling but when you have it you know its both spiritual and of luminous intensity.
The film has many unconscious messages and synchronicity events; one example being the bewitching scene when Ian checks his receipt time at 11:11, the time is reflected on a building which catches his attention to the billboard with Sofi's eyes. Without giving too much away the film is about a a man played by the talented Michael Pitt who is a scientist who studies Biometrics, who meets a mysterious girl at a party and takes a photo of her eyes and is mesmerised by her authenticity. He later on wonders who she is and if he will ever see her again. But like always when you're not looking for what you have lost you find it or in his case whom he wished too have meet again. Played by the beautiful Astrid Berge's who is such a captivating character who you will fall in love with along with Pitts character Ian Gray. They meet, a date with fate and meet again like there souls were meant to.
Sofi, (Berge's character) is heavily dosed with spirituality and tries to enlighten Ian but as a scientist he tries to draw the magic out of everything and replace with a scientific explanation. She has none of it and carries on with her strong beliefs, until they have an argument and a traumatic event happens. Ian begins connecting with his lab partner Karen performed by the raw talent of Brit Marling. She helps him recover and they create a life together as well as advancing in their field of work . Where they discover that people around the world once perished there individual iris pattern is belonging to someone else. Tests are run to find out whether this one girl in India who shares Sofi's iris pattern is like her. She fails the written test, until an enlightening incident happens ending with Ian opening a big door of the the hotel holding the young girls hand and a big luminous white light is exposed onto the screen perhaps suggesting Ian Gray is now spiritually awake at last. Shot beautifully perhaps because of Cahills amazing ability first displayed when he began interning with National Geographic Television and Film, soon becoming their youngest field producer, editor and cinematographer.
The film leaves you breathless and questions existence and reincarnation (one of my irrational fears). After the credits you are thankfully greeted by a sequence of images (you will have to watch for yourself), which Cahill is hinting at a prequel. He has just begun working on about reincarnation which is a sense of relief after watching the film as you just are craving more from this genius Mike Cahill.
I INSIST you watch this masterpiece and his many others I really enjoyed his documentary Boxers and ballerinas also which again is shot beautifully.
Thanks for reading
Luna
