The Man From Earth

Starring: David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley, Ellen Crawford, Annika Peterson, William Kat
Directed by: Richard Schenkman
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Professor John Oldman (David Lee Smith) tries to convince his friends that he is a 14,000 year old caveman- and his story is impossible to disprove.

Review:

Tim: The Man From Earth is a very interesting movie. It is almost like a filmed play. There are no special effects, no flashbacks, nothing besides a group of friends sitting around a cabin, talking. In one aspect, this seems like a set up for a pretty boring movie. However, that is not entirely the case here. The story is so interesting and fascinating that it prevents the film from seeming too slow or boring. However, there is definitely an aspect of this movie that made me wonder if this would have been a better play or story, rather than a film.

Regardless, there is much to like here. The very idea of a human being living 14,000 years is a fascinating one. And, the story of John Oldman is told with enough intelligence and thought behind it to actually make it seem believable. While the story is fantastic, it is grounded enough in history and common sense that it rarely seems too absurd. It is thought provoking and challenging. I loved the aspects of the film that questioned our knowledge and assumptions about history. Particularly powerful were the parts of the film that illuminated the "truth" behind some of the most interesting figures of the Bible. Controversial, yes- but also truly entertaining.

I did not like the shoddy, home movie quality of the film. I wish a bit more money was spent on the production of the film. The movie often looks incredibly low budget, with bad lighting and bad acting. The acting was actually really, really bad. Besides David Lee Smith, who does a fairly strong job, the rest of the cast (okay, Tony Todd is good, too) is really, really weak. The performances occasionally border on absurd. This aspect really hurts the movie. Smith and Todd carry the movie, and the rest of the cast add very, very little.

I love the story and the concept behind The Man From Earth. It is truly an amazing idea and fascinating to think about. Some might dislike it because it is controversial and challenging. I enjoyed it as a thought provoking exercise- a "what if" question. I really wish the movie had just a little bit of a bigger budget. I am all for small, independent films, but this one was hurt some by that smallness. Still, this is a unique, intelligent movie, and I enjoyed it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



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