The Loneliest Planet

This is a slow-paced story about love and trust, two convictions that are tested against the disinterested canvas of nature, picturesque yet frightening in its emptiness. It's hard to explain the conceit that contributes to the film's originality and impact without giving it away; it's about how sometimes it's unclear whether the actions we take are really our own, or if human connection is just a giant front for selfish, subconscious desires. That uncertainty is the fuel that powers this movie.

The first half builds tension effectively if somewhat tediously with several long scenes that don't always contribute to the slow burn narrative. When we get to the momentous turning point, the film becomes a riveting portrait of a relationship turned upside down that brings up larger issues of instinctive vs societal behavior. Loktev displays keen observational skills, subtly portraying the finer points of interaction through non-verbal cues and wisely sidestepping clunky exposition.

The film does overplay it's desire to develop a complex relationship through simple moments and proves that subtlety can sometimes be excessive. But it's not enough to undermine the fact that the film has the rare ability to convey that pit-of-your-stomach realization when things can never go back together again.

hey let's wander out into the georgian wilderness and discover everything in our souls we've ever left unspoken. if THIS IS NOT A FILM is the most righteous champion of cinematic expression to arrive in 2012, THE LONELIEST PLANET has to be a close second; both are obsessed with conquering the restrictions that frustrate the art of communication, and in part they both succeed.

TLP turns on a single moment that transforms the roles & identities of a triad of people in the middle-of-nowhere. It's abt the existential horror of a certain kind of self-knowledge, or worse, a knowledge about essential deficiencies of the ones we love. It's concerned w/ issues of identity (What is our "true self" -- what we do in the spur of the moment, or after we've regained our senses?) & communication, specifically, the fragility of the tacit elements upon which communication is founded.

Based on the ceaseless walking, I can only assume the planet in question is Middle-Earth.

it was like watching a book.

The two leads give some pretty powerful gazes in what turns out to be a somewhat tedious look at a complex relationship. Unfortunately, in spite of the beautiful backdrop and subtle performances, much of the deliberate pace over stays its welcome.

The source material that inspired The Loneliest Planet may be brief, but this adaptation of a Tom Bissell short story compensates with studious, finely detailed filmmaking, haunting visuals, and thought-provoking subtext.

There's a natural grace that pervades the couple's playful interractions but the moment that rocks their relationship's foundation and series of events it sets into motion is more challenging for the actors than myself. Furstenberg is quite the talent and it's funny at times but it doesn't give you plenty to chew on and some long takes overstay their welcome.

Gael Garcia Bernal does the best George Costanza this side of Jason Alexander.

Masterclass in character mise en scène, from before and then after the incident.

While stylistically similar to Van Sant's death trilogy, it doesn't quite manage to reach the hypnotic majesty of something like Gerry. It is, however, extremely beautiful, and extremely painful to watch.

I take my beach to the beach. I take my beach to the beach. I take my beach to the beach. I take my beach to the beach. I take my beach to the beach. I take my beach to the beach. I take my beach to the beach. See? My review has as much to say about the film as the film has to say about interpersonal conflict and communication breakdown. And if you think geometrically flat extreme long shots and two-/three-shots is tantamount to "stunning visuals," oh, boy, do I have a bridge to sell you.

Don't watch this when you don't have time to spare, some scenes take way too long, portraying everyday things in full length. The landscapes are beautiful and the characters are entertaining enough but not thought-provoking during the first half of the film. Then we get an incident and everything changes. This becomes frustrating to watch because there is a total lack of communication. At the same time it also becomes more interesting. Worth a watch but should've been better edited.

nisan 12, ist film fest & The Loneliest Planet biraz da doğaçlama sahneler ile ilerleyen ve böylelikle 'daha gerçek' olmaya çalışan bir film. Filmin bu gerçekçi ve samimi olma çabası beni sıktı çünkü filmin bariz bir ritim sorunu var. The Loneliest Planet, teoride işleyen fikirden & sinema tavrından yola çıkarak yapılmış ancak pratikte sınfta kalmış bir iş.

Worthwhile despite the drawn out shots of walking from a distance that I ended up fast-fowarding through.

"Much of the film's final act is given to alienated walking, which too often plays as an abstract study of triangular arrangements in which non-speaking figures move across a barren terrain." - Andrew Schenker

Somewhere between intimate character piece and nature porn, this film manages to express a whole lot by showing us all the things that are left unsaid.

Much like Loktev's debut Day Night Day Night there is a lot to admire here and clear talent on display, however something ultimately prevents the film from reaching the truly impressive heights it obviously aims for. Perhaps it is a case of there simply not being enough actually "there" (although at the same time it seems practically the film's point that "nothing happens" but at the same time it "says everything" which is always a neat idea but hardly, if ever, actually works).

Stunning visual achievement. After the "moment" that changes the couple's relationship, Loktev's images tell us so much without the aid of dialogue. She records the emotional landscape of this relationship with only gestures, looks, and framing to bring to her aid. In both halves of the film, Loktev builds a distinctive atmosphere, beginning with impending dread and morphing to a sense of people reeling from their unexpected encounter--the landscape shots to music perfectly enhance these moods.