THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX
US, 2018, 104 minutes, Colour.
Gugu Mbatha- Raw, David Oyelowol, DanielBruehl?, John Ortiz, Chris O' Dowd, Aksel Hennie, Zhang Ziyi, Elizabeth Debicki Roger Davies, Donal Logue.
Directed by Julius Onah.
There have been several Cloverfield films, some horror Thriller Is, the original with handheld camera, the claustrophobia sequel, Cloverfield Lane. While these films have some producers in common, this seems to have very little link between those films and this present Paradox. A marketing device? And the film not receiving theatrical lists release but going to Netflix?
Basically, this is a space science fiction story, a group in space trying to find a solution for problems on earth, failing, some strange sabotage for the spacecraft, an international crew exercising their skills but some tensions, some being killed, the Irishman losing his arm and finding it alive and writing some suggestions for a solution, a German, a Chinese also members of the crew as well as the American doctor. The commander of the spacecraft, ironically the craft is called Shepherd, is played by David Oyelowo. The chief expert on board, Hamilton, is played by Gugu Mbatha Raw, sympathetic character with a husband and children on earth, discovering that she also exists, as does her family, in a parallel universe.
This information comes through the discovery on board of an injured woman, played by Elizabeth Debicki, who reveals the parallel universe, encourages Hamilton, but is finally treacherous, leading to confrontation and the paradox of where the spacecraft will return, to which universe.
A film for those who like this kind of apocalyptic spacecraft science fiction.
1. An apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic science-fiction action? The destruction of the earth? Search for solutions in space? Parallel universes?
2. The producers and linking this story with the Cloverfield franchise? Any connections?
3. Space , The spacecraft, exteriors, interiors? Authentic feel? Contact with earth? Control?
4. The interview with the scientist on television, his pessimistic forecasts, the response of the group?
5. The introduction to Hamilton, her husband, the children, love and tensions? Her going back on mission? The TV connections with home, breaking?
6. The mission, the search for a solution for Earth’s difficulties?
7. The range of the crew, their personalities, command, skills? The tests, the failures, the repercussions for the spacecraft? For them? Losing contact with Earth?
8. The focus on Hamilton, her skills, personality? Interactions with the other members of the crew? The leader, his sense of responsibility, making decisions? The Internationality the group, leading to tensions, with knowledge of the war on earth, Russia as an enemy? The crew’s fears of infiltration?
9. Schmidt, German, his abilities, personality, decision-making, his links with Tam? German and Chinese? Under some suspicions? Volkov, his suspicions of the Germans? Mundy, the Irishman?
10. The noise, the transformations for the crew, the discovery of Jensen, the rescue, her being rehabilitated? The mysterious goings-on, Mundy and his losing his arm, the independence of the arm, his writing, offering solutions? Tam, her drowning? Volkov and his being taken over, destroyed?
11. The introduction of the theme of parallel universes? Hamilton and her life on earth, Hamilton and her family relationships in the other world? Jensen and her friendship, her explanations, collaboration? The leader trying to cope, to save the spacecraft, to try further experiments? Success and then failures?
12. The building up to the crisis, the mutilations and deaths of the crew? The decisions as to who should return to earth? Hamilton and her dilemma about which world she should be in, seeing her life in each world? Jensen and her influence?
13. The leader giving up his life and the others, Schmidt and the possibility of returning to earth, Hamilton and turning on Jensen and overpowering her? Jensen becoming free, her determining what would happen?
14. Earth, the parallel earth, the wars, peace, Michael and his trying to contact Hamilton, his taking care of the little girl, juxtaposing these stories with Hamilton and the story on the spacecraft?
15. The title, the paradox for Hamilton, the paradox the alternate worlds, the climax?
