The Man Who Fell to Earth

"I absolutely love that David Bowie plays an alien who becomes somewhat disillusioned with life but still tried to fulfill his mission. The plot is filled with symbolism."

"4½/5⭐ + A masterclass in directing, editing, cinematography, and overall presentation. It has alluring style and tells a unique scifi story through very basic filmmaking techniques. An entire world and psychological space opens up to us in a way not many modern films can with all the CGI available to today's filmmakers. The director also makes inspired casting decisions, most notably with David Bowie as the alien character, but also with Candy Clark and Rip Torn. This is also another in a series of director Nicolas Roeg's films that invite a mythological feel to worlds that also feel grounded in "real life" society. His films play very much like dark fairy tales whose characters are rips in the fabric of reality, exposing a dimension that calls into question what we view as normal. His films are not mere entertainment, but also great works of cinematic art. This is no exception. - The runtime is a bit on the long side for this type of story. I wouldn't say it is an editing problem so much as it is a script problem. The story isn't explained beyond the main character and his goals, but it's all presented in such a simple way that some of the movie meanders unnecessarily. It's more to do with structure; a lot of the main character's exploits could be fleshed out more. Instead he tells us what he is after, and then he just behaves in the world without it informing what exactly he feels, or the stakes involved in his mission. If not for how well the movie is presented, this could have sunk it. Instead it only makes it less than perfect. Overall: An outstanding work of art that is masterfully directed, shot, and cut. It contains inspired casting choices, but the script could have used some work. The runtime isn't the problem so much as how that runtime is filled. Still, the movie is spellbinding in ways that make it bearable. Not perfect, but far from bad and miles from mediocre."

"I could write a whole essay about this movie. The plot was amazing. An alien who came to earth to fetch water for his planet, ended up being stuck there. Taken in for experiments, it's exactly what you would imagine in a movie about an alien who fell to Earth, but IMO, better. The acting was amazing."

"This is a great film, but it gets confusing pretty quickly. Filled with stylized shots and interesting type of narrative this is a very complex film. definitely could pull this apart with hidden and deeper meanings. David Bowie is absolutely amazing and I couldn’t think of anyone better to be the star in this. "