Extraterrestre

This film uses the appearance of a flying saucer in the sky as a MacGuffin to move along a plot about relationship and infidelity. A still image of the saucer above a building is the extent of the effects in this film and also pretty much the extent of the issue of any real extra terrestrials. In an attempt to cover the aforementioned infidelity, the two main characters create lies that are detrimental to one of the colorful side characters. People over-react to situations and generally create that indie film quirky mayhem we are familiar with that is outside of actual reality. There are many questions that remain unanswered because the film is only focused on this little group of four people and their relationship issues. Ms. Jenner is a pleasure to watch if only because she is so darned pretty. The ending leaves one a bit unsatisfied.

There are so many great films coming out lately from around the world. What's crazy is that some of the ones that get the most praise don't always connect with everyone. The Spanish made film Extraterrestrial is the latest meeting this criteria, but also sports the sci-fi comedy genre that gives it the unique opportunity to deliver something new to the genre, but can it make it work or will it just be a wasted invasion.

Extraterrestrial follows a guy and girl as they wake up from an apparent one night stand only to find out that the world is full of UFO's. As if that wasn't enough, they have to deal with the girl's boyfriend and the creepy neighbor which might be even more trouble than the invasion. On the surface this movie works pretty well, but overall it misses the mark at times. The cast is great and do a great job bouncing off the clever dialogue to create a dry funny overall film. What takes somewhat away from this movie is the UFO aspect. While this does set up some reasoning behind the bigger story for them to play off of, it really serves little to no purpose for the film itself. There is nothing ever really done with it other than being a back drop and makes the final experience seem a bit lacking. Another major issue is the ending. It builds up with all the tensions and issues with all involved only to just kind of end with little to no resolution.

Believe it or not this is an entertaining movie that should have been way better than it was. Overall once it ends, it just feels like it was all for nothing since nothing ever really happens. If you're looking for something a bit different then this movie will entertain and do the job, just be sure to steer clear of the expectations of the sci-fi aspect. Be warned, this is a subtitled movie so unless you speak Spanish be prepared to read.

http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-dallas/bobby-blakey

If you go in to this extraterrestrial invasion film expecting extraterrestrials or aliens, well, you're going to be disappointed.

As with other films by the fascinating director Nacho Vigalondo, Extraterrestrial takes a sideways view of a pulp genre. The movie starts flying saucers over Madrid, but the movie isn't about them but about how four people who didn't evacuate cooperate and contend with one another.

It is not true, as some people say, that "nothing happens." Plenty happens, but it's all comedic human drama full of lies and schemes and things going wrong.

If you want to see an alien invasion movie, this isn't one. But if you'd like to see an ingenious and engaging movie about people, this is a good choice.

After I saw Vigalondo's Colossal I set out to see all his other movies. This is the last one. I really hope he's working on something new!

Don't you love it when a film can actually sneak up on you and surprise you, genuinely, and reveal itself to be something what is advertised ?In this case, how many alien invasion movies have we had in the past couple of years? The past couple of months even? Nacho Vigalondo's follow-up to his cult-sensation Timecrimes (sadly unseen by me) is a film that is nominally about a spaceship hovers over Madrid. Will it be an action movie, a thriller, something icky or something inquisitive (or all of the above,like in. Prometheus)?

As it turns out, the alien invasion is somewhat of a cover, though not entirely, for what is really one of those often returned to tropes that I love when done right in films— an infidelity drama that spirals out of control. In this case, the film opens on a one-night-stand couple, Julio (Villagran) and Julia (Jenner, ho-ho), who awake a little disorientated, not sure what happened the previous and then notice the streets outside are abandoned and a giant spaceship in the sky. There is also a noisy neighbor, Angel (Areces) and the arrival a short time later of Julia's boyfriend, Carlos (Carlos Cimas), who is a genuinely nice and clueless guy.

The first mistake Julio makes is to let slip to Angel about what happened the night before. After this, the spiral starts: how to not have Angel reveal the truth to Carlos, which involves Julio convincing Carlos that Angel is "one of them," the invading aliens. In what skates the line (like in a lot of the film) between comedy and actual suspense, Julio and Carlos bind and gag Angel (in one of those scenes where none of the characters are sure what to do, but have set the pieces in motion and have to follow them through).

The paranoia continues with Carlos reaching out to confront other "extraterrestrials" that have landed. But this, in turn, leads to more sex between Julio and Julia while Carlos roams the streets. Lies spur on more lies. And then more craziness. And Angel returns. And why should I keep going on? The fun in Extraterrestrial is seeing what these characters will do when someone withholds information that should be trivial in the scope of, say, possible imminent doom.

I've seen the film described in a couple of reviews as a romantic comedy, and it could be to an extent. But for me, its effectiveness is more as a kind of noir-ish story of a couple who shouldn't be lovers but are, and the comedy comes from their surprises and stumbles. However, the plot with Carlos isn't so funny as he becomes a sort of one-man crusader against the invasion that isn't really happening (or is it?).

Vigalondo leads the audience in different directions as to where the story might go, but far from being confused, I was totally engaged. He has a solid sense of direction (how he tracks in and out of rooms at certain moments is psychologically satisfying, and has a touch of Hitchcock to it), and just when you think something might finally give with the Julio/Julia's conflict—to tell or not to tell the truth—the movie takes another turn altogether. And yet there is still some ambiguity (maybe) by the end of it all as to what is really going on, who may or may not be an alien in human disguise.

Among the 2012 summer, overloaded with extraterrestrials and upteenth special effects, Vigalondo made a real sleeper, with unpredictable characters, wonderful performances, and a story that unfolds with real surprise and dramatic/comic consequences.

Extraterrestrial is a Spanish movie where the aliens (apparently) invade Spain. I say apparently because you never once see an alien, you only see a fourth of a spacecraft that is essentially 4 miles wide.

This movie is a love triangle between three characters and another annoying jealous guy who wants to make it a love square. He does ridiculous stuff to gain the attention of the only woman in the film, the woman he desires.

That's it. There's nothing else to the plot.

If this was a comedy, it failed at every level since I didn't even smile once. If this was a drama, I never showed any emotions for the characters depicted and could care less if any lived or died. This can't be considered action since nothing dramatic happened at all.

What I can say is whatever this movie was supposed to be it wasn't and I struggled to watch the duration even though it was only about 90 minutes long.

I like foreign movies and I watch a lot of them because most are better than the movies put out by Hollywood but give this one a miss cause there's nothing to take out of Extraterrestrial unless you're looking to see how boring and nonsensical a movie can actually be.