Movie review: "Another Earth"

What if there's another YOU out there? Like when you look at the mirror, it suddenly breaks and that YOU in the mirror just step out and you realize that "that YOU" has been a real human in another world all the time. What will you feel? Will you be delighted, or will you freak out? Then after those first intense reactions, what will you do? What will you say to that you? What advice will you give? Or will you just listen to learn from them? To me, the main idea of the movie is like that, but built in a much better story. Our Earth, the only planet we knew that supports life, has been duplicated sometime in its long, long history. Now we know, and even see, another planet, not too far from us, let's call it Earth 2, on which there's life. And what's more, there are us on it too. Everyone of us. There's you and there's me. Now do you want to go there and meet that you? Will it be a good idea or a bad one?

The whole movie "Another Earth" develops from that idea. The thing I don't like about it is that the story moves quite slowly that sometimes you will want to stop it. But if you have time, or you never mind the slow pace, or you're very patient, then you'll find some beautiful and interesting bits in it.

I like the part when the girl named Rhoda, played by Brit Marling, revealed to the musical composer John that she wanted to travel to Earth 2.
John: why do you want to go? You don't know what's out there.
R: that's why I wanna go.
...
R: if no one wanted to travel to the unknown places, then we'd still believe that we are the center of the universe, that the Sun revolved around us.
John: don't we now? We call ourselves earth 1 and them Earth 2. Do you think they [up there] call themselves number 2?
(the quotes above are not exact b/c I wrote just what I remember)

This part really impresses. B/c many times in life, we really still think we are the center, even w/o knowing it. We want others to play by our rules. We set our own standards and we trash others'. And we don't even realize what we are doing. And if we realize that, will we stop?

Another remarkable quote I've got from imdb:

Richard Berendzen: Within our lifetimes, we've marveled as biologists have managed to look at ever smaller and smaller things. And astronomers have looked further and further into the dark night sky, back in time and out in space. But maybe the most mysterious of all is neither the small nor the large: it's us, up close. Could we even recognize ourselves, and if we did, would we know ourselves? What would we say to ourselves? What would we learn from ourselves? What would we really like to see if we could stand outside ourselves and look at us?

Somewhere in the movie, they also said that we as humans actually are talking to ourselves all the time, every day, but we just don't realize that. But now, when that idea of talking to ANOTHER YOU becomes so visible, what will you think? What do you think you will say to that you? For me, I'm wondering if people see themselves as loveable people? Will they want to be friends with themselves? Maybe not many people can answer those questions honestly.

As I said, this movie moves quite slowly so if you are the kind who enjoy action-packed or fast-paced movies, you're not likely to love it. But if you're patient enough, then some gems will be revealed to you through out the movie. Some more information: Ms. Marling, who played the female lead Rhoda, is also the script writer and co-producer. And she's very young. A very admirable girl.

Watch this movie if you have time, and you'll find yourself reflect on your own image after that.

I guess I'll give this movie 7 stars out of 10.