Eyes open I Origins, first in single shots, then combined into a montage that demonstrates their differences and deviations. That it is swiftly apparent that the movie could not have commenced in any other way is the first clue to its many conundrums. Every opportunity to reinforce their prominence is seized, both in imagery and symbolism; every clunky line of dialogue pertaining to their importance is uttered, even when given a pseudo-scientific context. In his second feature after Another Earth, sharing that film’s enthusiastic embrace of the unashamed and unsubtle but not its successful outcome, writer/director Mike Cahill doesn’t squander any chances to express the central motif in his concept.
Of course, all things ocular are of paramount interest to Ian Gray (Michael Pitt, Seven Psychopaths), a molecular biologist interested in the eye’s evolution and boasting a sizeable collection of photographs to show for it it. One particularly arresting pair, belonging to Sofi (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), sparks a romance. Their absence in certain organisms sets his intern, Karen (Brit Marling, The East), on the hunt for a genetic breakthrough. When tragedy strikes, a combination of love and investigation sees Ian and Karen steeped in a discovery that could reshape the age-old battle between science and religion.
Yet another exploration of thought versus faith drives I Origins as Cahill wades in contemplative territory familiar to audiences of his first effort. Indeed, in a confident display of directorial theme and style, the follow-up proves a re-tread through and through. Earnestness and a heart-on-the-sleeve approach to the film’s emotional arc also recur, as does the probing of the boundaries of scholarship and spirituality; however originality isn’t the only thing missing the second time around. Using trickery that strives to uphold its premise time and again smacks of derivation, convenience and an over-reliance on in-story coincidence, the excessive need for exposition and explanation hardly helping matters.
With fate a key factor in how events unfold, I Origins follows Ian as his path leads him into Sofi’s embrace and then away, only to stumble on another form of possible connection. As its philosophical leanings deepen, it is to the film’s benefit that Pitt’s transforming character is cast into the role of the protagonist and not Marling, the star of Another Earth best used in her supporting role. Pitt oozes sincerity even as his surroundings step into silliness, journeying not just between women and scientific notions but also to India for the feature’s supernatural-tinged denouement. In a departure, Marling is used sparingly as the reasoned voice of encouragement, convincing as the film’s most grounded point.
Many a sentimental romance has endeavoured to pose ‘what if’ questions about love exceeding mortality, just as others have played with optical connections, though what most avoid is dressing up their content as something more. It’s here that I Origins flounders, despite the technical competence of much of its components; its sci-fi-esque framework and optical fetishism simply lay the foundation for a love story scarcely more sophisticated than the saccharine Joss Whedon-written In Your Eyes from earlier in 2014, obvious plot developments included. For all the ambition that emanates in the whisperings of thought-provoking ideas and picturesque manifestations of such, the usual amorous flight of fancy eventuates, with a dash of scepticism busting. I Origins wants audiences to believe in what it forces them to see, yet can’t escape the sight of offering nothing more than packaging mawkishness in weightier ideas and more lyrical confines.
Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars
I Origins
Director: Mike Cahill
USA, 2014, 107 mins
Melbourne International Film Festival
www.miff.com.au
31 July – 17 August
Possible Worlds U.S. and Canadian Film Festival
www.possibleworlds.net.au
Sydney: 7 – 17 August
Canberra: 20 August
Perth: 22 – 24 August
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