The Brother from Another Planet

Another rather brilliant Sayles screenplay uses an alien in the form of an African-American who cannot speak as a way to show the meaningless acts of racism we perpetrate as a society. Morton's best acting role ironically doesn't have him speak a line.

Tenderhearted moments mixed with a dash of race-relation commentary make for an oddly packaged 80s action-comedy. The takeaway is Joe Morton's silent, but powerful, portrayal of alien 'Brother' which continues to be an allegory for immigration issues for a new generation. There are some weird moments involving the bounty hunters that date this, but The Brother's work to find the source of deadly street drugs gives the story a meaningful social duality beneath the surface of a wacky sci-fi flick.

Low-key, charming, funny, and loose as a goose. Not qualities you at all expect from modern science fiction. but they *are* qualities you believe coming from John Sayles. If anything, the tiny budget makes all this seem more down to earth (so to speak)

It's an urban spin on The Day the Earth Stood Still & The Man Who Fell to Earth's story of a human looking alien's first contact. Sayles is at his best as a social dramatist--the scenes are essentially short stories about the Brother's alienation and assimilation in NYC. But, the genre parts are lacking: the Men in Black should've been a bigger subplot, the powers cooler, and the ending shouldn't have pulled you out of the story. Still, it's cool, and a dated funk soundtrack adds to the charm.

Viewed May 16, 2021.

Visually lean and brimming with ideas, THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET immerses the viewer in an ingenious critique of the racism ingrained in American society. The overt sci-fi elements have not aged well and are hokey distractions from the rest of the movie, which is a moving portrait of alienation and a statement in defense of individuality.

Sayles' loose, meandering narrative and Morton's enigmatic silent performance really sell the experience of an alien (a former slave no less) struggling to find purpose on Earth, reflecting the disillusionment of contemporary black Americans regularly made to feel like outsiders. It's a strange movie for sure, occasionally humorous, but an enriching experience on account of the meaningful social commentary.

I expected a blaxploitation movie but it's only that in the most general sense, instead it's an intriguing perspective on society through the eyes of a mute alien that certainly speaks to racial issues but never fully puts them at the forefront. The lead performance is quite strong and the film as a whole balances its tone really well, being filled with a good dose of humour and a silly sci-fi premise but still maintaining a surprising amount of gravitas in its underlying social commentary.

If Jim Jarmusch made Bulworth, it would look something like this. The wordless protagonist is a sounding board for everyone else's assumptions and viewpoints on his journey through a seriocomically simplified socioeconomic landscape. And yet this clean slate of a brother only gradually realizes that on this planet, his color matters. His surprise at those who meaninglessly hurt one another is the gratifying comic center of a cynical, clever and invigorating satire.

Raises blaxploitation to an artform unlike any other film I can think of.

A quietly charming comedy-fantasy that echoes _E.T._, _The Man Who Fell to Earth_, and _Being There_.

Sometimes looks like a Spike Lee reworking of _Being There_ and not all the subplots and story points work, but overall this is a nicely unpretentious and entertaining sleeper.

Very enjoyable film, worth repeated viewings to make sure you catch all the pop culture references.

Very very strange film.

This could have gone awry any second. While supposed to convey a really literal sense of alienation, this is done with careful restraint. Nothing seems without meaning in the mise-en-scene which is usually sparse and deliberate. Freaky soundtrack. I mean, freaky movie, but specifically I'm not sure how often you could get away with something like that but I was saying yes, yes, more more!

Really enjoyed this one. Not so much as sci-du allegory but simply as a fine example of an American Independent hangout movie.

Got its heart in the right place and is technically solid from acting to directing. I didn't find it as entertaining as I thought I would. Slow is fine, but as Maaxwell said, it's meandering. Maybe it was my mood but that hurt it. Still a good movie though.

While Sayles manages to inject plenty of commentary that remains relevant today, his style leaves a lot to be desired. Most obvious is the pulp cinematography where everything is shot medium-close with a distracting amount of grain. However this complaint extends to the fight scenes (which lean towards dance choreography) and the dialogue that cycles through various African-American stereotypes. Morton is great, and the themes are worthwhile, but the film is constantly working against itself.

Slight weird oddball sci-fi drama that for the most part bored me. The occasional entertaining bit were few and far between.

Ok, some points for the effort, but this movie just never gels and takes forever to be even slightly interesting. Most of the humor was too subtle and so there are few, if any, laugh out loud moments. I think the director failed on this one. I especially disliked everything to do with the aliens that were chasing him, they were just plain stupid.

Exceedingly slow, but at times really, really brilliant.

John Sayles combine humour and seriousness in an intelligent and playful film. Witty and fascinating, if not highly gripping.

Too weird for me. Those feet are nasty.