Jérémy Clapin, well-known for “I Lost My Body,” ventures from animation to live-action with “Meanwhile on Earth,” a gripping tale about a sister’s love for her brother and the seizing nature of grief. The film explores its theme against a science-fiction backdrop that does not translate greatly into live-action. What comes of it is an uneven tone that never dares to venture deeper into the characters and their grief.
Megan Northam plays Elsa, who after losing her older brother to space exploration has lost any sense of passion for life. Guilt guides every action of hers. Throughout the 90 minutes of the film, Elsa is tormented physically, psychologically and emotionally. Cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert does a splendid job of displaying Elsa’s pain through extreme closeups and juxtaposing her dripping red blood with the blowing greenery of the woods — two colors that dictate the film’s color palette throughout.
However, when the camera moves away from Northam’s character, nothing extraordinary occurs until Clapin cuts to an animation sequence. These sequences allow Clapin to explore the story outside of the budgetary confines and give it the science fiction feel he was attempting. This leaves viewers wondering what the film could have been had Clapin opted to animate the story instead.
The animation elevates the thin narrative that feels like a scientific retread of the themes explored in David Lowery’s paranormal world of “A Ghost Story.” Grief becomes guilt and consumes the life of the living when left untethered. The only alternative is acceptance.
The film also explores the value of life when applying love to it, but the exploration never amounts to anything larger. This is the biggest problem with “Meanwhile on Earth.” Each time Clapin introduces a new question or conflict for Elsa, it fizzles out and becomes replaced by another. A pattern that translates to the tone of the film. Initially science fiction and drama, the film later ventures into horror and then action before returning back to the dramatic. By the end of the film, viewers easily get out of their chairs and go on with life. There is nothing particularly alluring. It simply exists.
“Meanwhile on Earth” is unsure of the story it tells. Although the premise may excite audiences, Clapin would do well to take the themes of the movie and flesh them out in future endeavors.
After being released in France on May 1, “Meanwhile on Earth” received its North American premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 22. It was released in U.S. theaters on Nov. 8. Currently, San Antonio moviegoers can view the film at the Santikos Palladium IMAX and Regal Northwoods. Tickets are available for purchase online and at the box office.
