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Thursday, July 31, 2014

MINI-REVIEW: I Origins

MOVIE
I Origins

CAST
Michael Pitt, Brit Marling

RATING
R

RELEASE
July 18, 2014 (NY/LA)
July 25, 2014 (Expands)

DIRECTOR
Mike Cahill

STUDIO
Fox Searchlight Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 53 minutes




STARS
***3/4






REVIEW:

Some say that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but in "I Origins," the eyes literally hold the beauty of one's soul. Director Mike Cahill returns to the director's chair after "Another Earth" back in 2011, and this time he is the sole writer on this film, rather than co-writing it with his friend Brit Marling. The movie itself stars Michael Pitt as Ian, a scientist who is fascinated with the unique patterns that eyes possess. One pair in particular intrigues him, and that set belongs to Sofi, a mysterious woman who had a chance encounter with Ian at a Halloween party, played by Spanish actress Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey. These two develop a romantic relationship together, and that's really all that can be said without giving too much away. However, whoever made the trailer for the film clearly did a bang up job of spoiling just about every fascinating plot point in a matter of 2 and a half minutes. My suggestion: don't watch the trailer until you've seen the film, because in my eyes, this is truly a special film.

The performances are really good, particularly from Pitt and Bergès-Frisbey. These guys are incredibly believable as two souls connected together, and both equally give emotionally driven performances that make the film as great as it is. Brit Marling and Steven Yeun from "The Walking Dead" have nice supporting roles here as fellow scientists who support Ian's eye theories, and even become involved with his personal life. I think what drives this film home for me was how creative it was, in the sense that it tested the debates of science vs. religion while also just telling a gripping story, despite some tiny little flaws present. I can see why someone may not like it, but for me, this was a film that I was interested in seeing again as soon as it ended. "I Origins" is fascinating, emotionally gripping, well-acted, and overall a really great sci-fi movie that I feel people should at least check out at home if it's not playing anywhere locally and when it becomes available on DVD and VOD.







ME WITH "I ORIGINS" WRITER/DIRECTOR MIKE CAHILL AFTER A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING OF THE FILM IN PHILADELPHIA ON JULY 21, 2014!!


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