Extraterrestre (Nacho Vigalondo, 2011): Spain

Reviewed by Brittany Carr. Viewed at AFI Fest 2011.

While it was my first Spanish film, Extraterrestre was extremely enjoyable. The film seemed to be at first like any other one night stand plot line, but then it turned into a quirky love story. It was a unexpected movie, the characters all had something about them that made them so very different from each other. The casting was great, every character helped piece together like a puzzle.

Nacho Vigalondo’s use of the camera during the film had lots of natural lighting and hardly any shadows in the main set at the apartment. The furniture reminded me of a Spanish IKEA, simple, clean cut and made with natural looking fibers. At some points in the film the sound doesn’t always match up with movie or the actors, but it’s dramatic soundtrack adds intensity in certain scenes and a softness to the emotions on the screen.

Julia and Julio are the first characters introduced in the film, and while Julia is trying to get Julio out of her place, because unknowing to the audience, her boyfriend Carlos is on his way to her apartment. As Julio catches the hint, they both realize that all the technology in the apartment doesn’t work, and while searching through the apartment they stumble upon the sight of through the window a large circular structure floating in the distance of the city. From that point in the film, everything changes. Carlos enters the picture as the overprotective survivalist boyfriend, and he is determined to take advantage of the fact that there are deserted streets, no government, and that he can control his environment.Carlos takes drastic measures to try and show the alien invaders what humans are made of-via explosions. Angel, the creepy and annoying neighbor, who’s character implies that he is Julia’s stalker, but really he’s a guy that no one likes. And when Angel finds out-from Julio’s moment of stupidity-that Julia slept with Julio; and from that point on for a majority of the film he is trying to expose Julio to Carlos. During the film, Julia and Julio have arguments whether to tell Carlos about the night they spent together, in the end they decide to not tell Carlos.

Over all I really enjoyed the film, it was smoothly edited and carried the story perfectly all the way through the film. It was a perfect first film to see at the AFI fest, and it really opened my eyes to look for different aspects during a film.