So what the difference between: “The aliens are talking to me in my head” and “I’m insane?” Seems to me, the only difference is when you present your film as sci-fi or drama. Otherwise, hey, what’s the dif?
Elsa Martens (Megan Northam) lost her brother Franck to space three years ago. He went up. He went out. He never returned. Elsa never got over it. She spends her time in a hospice run by her mom. She’s nice enough to the patience; it is her job, after all, but there is little drive in her. The only thing she manages to feel passionate about is graffitiing an “F” on the spaceman statue at the roundabout on her way to and from work.
So one evening, Elsa is hanging out on a hillside when she hears Franck.
Whaaaaa … ?
The hill is topped with a satellite antenna which seems to be channeling Franck (Sébastien Pouderoux). Next thing you know, Elsa is sticking a bud in her ear to communicate with the beings holding Franck hostage. They seem nice enough, these aliens, but they want some bodies, five in total, before they can release Franck back to the wilds.
This is just about the freakiest shakedown ever, comme ci?
On screen, this is presented as Elsa better get moving if she wants Franck back; she’s only got a few days to collect bodies for aliens. IRL, this is a crazy woman. In the screenplay, this is a galactic
blackmail scheme. Call it whatever you need to on Rigel 7. This is blackmail. And this is the plot.
Well, Elsa had better find some bodies if she ever wants her brother back … and if you don’t see this ending coming, well, for shame. For shame.
Meanwhile on Earth felt like a movie in slow motion. Oh, things happened in real time, but everything seemed rather dull as if the cinematography had adapted to Elsa’s demeanor. While I enjoyed the plot and the solution, I was not overwhelmed by the deets and saw the ending an hour in advance. I think a better movie to be made is the one where it’s revealed that Elsa never even had a brother named “Franck.”
There was once a young woman drifter
Badly in need of an outlook shifter
Aliens contact
Say, “we have your back”
So long as you become a body lifter
Rated R, 89 Minutes
Director: Jérémy Clapin
Writer: Jérémy Clapin
Genre: Alien blackmail
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Those who have lost
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: “Even the nice aliens suck”
