Life English Movie

Life sticks to more genre conventions than it breaks. But, the few moments of brilliance and great cynicism are takeaways that give it a special place within its category. Mar 24, 2017 By Vighnesh Menon

"Curiosity kills the cat" and "every action is followed by an equal and opposite reaction" are two of the most hackneyed quotes but universal enough to govern the crux of a film like Life. Swedish director Daniel Espinosa ventures into science fiction and horror for the very first time with Life and delivers a mostly decent entertainer.

Espinosa is a man of simple taste, having made mediocre crime thrillers such as Child 44(2015) and Safe House(2012) previously. So, a relatively complex subject like the one in Life is a work outside his comfort zone. Obvious from the title, the timeless theme of life is omnipresent in the film and blends into the sinister environment inside the space station. Instant comparisons to the Alien franchise are irresistible due to its iconic status in pop culture even today. After all, The 'extraterrestrial antagonist and the single location' is anything but new. But, Life holds its own through a meditative, albeit cynical, study of its central theme. Add a couple of genuine surprises and tense set pieces to the mix and you can see Life rising above its limitations to a fair degree.

However, the audience will have a hard time sitting through the uneven editing and speed of the film as it jumps back and forth between action scenes and philosophical sessions. This film also makes one wonder again why Hollywood characters in space have to be so deliberately poetic all the time. There is a lack of clarity in each of the performances, particularly by Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal is a fantastic actor with a wide range and depth in most of his roles. Here, though, he is a little confused as the male lead, Dr.David Jordan. Some frames of his reveal uncharacteristic reactions and a lack of involvement in the proceedings. Whether it was the actor's shortcomings or just bad direction is open to debate.

Life is no technical marvel, unlike the myriad sci-fi films which have pushed the envelope this century. But, with a modest budget for a genre film, it generates the right amount of chills, thrills and irony. For a film that talks a lot about firewalls, Life too has one last firewall if everything else fails, which is, its final few shots. Let's leave it at that.