Some of the films that I've liked best this years have only received limited releases. "Under the Skin" and "The Rover" both showed at only one of the theatres I regularly go to, and even then they only had engagements of one week. "I Origins" is the third film to receive that distinction. There was something fundamentally compelling about it that even now I can't definitively place (which in a way makes it all the more compelling).
The film doesn't have the most traditional narrative, but that's not to say that it's free form or experimental. What I mean is that the events proceed at their own pace and it's never quite clear what direction the film will take next. This is due, in part, to its exploration of both scientific and spiritual perspectives. At first each perspective is represented individually, with its own scenes. Gradually, however, they begin to bleed together to the point where just about anything could happen and it would not violate the rules that the film had established for itself. There is a significant time jump that occurs partway through the film and while this could have been jarring (especially because it soon opens up an all new overarching plot thread) it works because the exploration of science versus spirituality continues, granting a thematic consistency. By avoiding a formulaic narrative, the film is a lot more exciting. It almost felt like watching a tightrope walker. I was intrigued not just by the quality of the film, but by wondering if it would be able to maintain that quality throughout. Films that are daring like this are fascinating when they work, but they're always just a single misstep away from losing the audience completely. Endings are especially hard for them to get right. While "I Origins" didn't have the greatest ending of all time (no mindblowing twists) it was emotionally consistent with the rest of the film and felt earned.
Michael Pitt turns in a really good performance in the lead role. I'd seen him before on "Boardwalk Empire" and, just recently, in his brilliantly psychotic, nutty performance as Mason Verger on the television show "Hannibal". It's to his credit as an actor that I didn't recognize any remnants of his past performances in this one. The film gives him lots of different scenarios to play, and the time jump allows him to show subtle changes in his character over the years. There was no one particularly noteworthy or attention grabbing change he made; he simply imbued the character with the depth of a man who had a few more years and experiences under his belt.
In a lot of "stranger" films like this, there is often strong, stylistic imagery. Unlike "Under the Skin", which had some really strange (yet wonderful) visuals going on, "I Origins" mostly keeps itself grounded, but there were a few moments that stuck out. For a brief period, after suffering a lab accident, Pitt has his eyes bandaged, yet still wears his glasses over the bandage, which made for a very iconic image that has stayed with me. The film also opens with, and features throughout, many extreme close ups of eyes. They were very powerful and got me thinking about how I don't know if I've ever really taken such a close look at the eyes before. It's an effective motif, and likely benefits from the film's tendency to otherwise stay away from such eye-grabbing imagery.
One of the best things about my Movie Pass is that I'm getting to see great movies that I otherwise would have decided to skip or would have not known about at all (had I not seen the trailers for this or checked movie listings as often as I do, I'd probably never have even heard of it). This is the latest film that I've very grateful to have gotten to see.
A
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