The Brother from Another Planet (1984)

Pretty Good

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

WARNING! Spoilers Galore! If you haven't seen the film yet, you will NOT want to read this review!This film was screened on opening night of MOMA's "Future Imperfect" series on July 17, 2017. Director John Sayles introduced the film and participated in a talk afterwards. The author's intention is to preserve some of the discussion.The panel consisted of the director, producers Maggie Renzi and Peggy Rajski, actors Daryl Edwards and Fisher Stevens,and curator Josh Siegel.Sayles said the plot came to him in a series of dreams. The producers said the financing for another film fell through the day before shooting was to begin, but Sayles said he had $300K in the bank (his Macarthur grant)and would be willing to spend it on a film about a black ET who lands in Harlem.The first day of shooting was a disaster. The production manager's wife was in labor, and the guy who was supposed to provide the dolly track got a better offer and ditched Sayles. Fisher Stevens said he had to change his clothes in a station wagon. But the experience of this film was great fun and turned him on to independent productions.Aside: the card trick Stevens does for Joe Morton is a real effect, known in the trade as "Sam the Bellhop," popularized by Bill Malone. Stevens noted that Morton, a method actor, hardly said a word to the other cast members.Daryl Edwards said this was his second professional gig, and he was just happy to be there, not realizing the shoestring budget made for a very unconventional shoot. The opening special effect, Sayles said, cost just $50 to achieve. An audience member asked what Josh Mostel was doing in a cameo late in the film. Rajski explained he was her ex-husband!All were grateful to Siskel and Ebert, whose review of the film on their PBS show gave the film "millions of dollars worth of free publicity."This is a rousing, crowd pleasing comedy with a few dark undertones (pun not intended.)Dee Dee Bridgewater sings and has a fling with Morton. Morton gives a sensational performance as the mute fugitive. Sayles and David Strathairn are a hoot as "men in black" pursuing runaway slave Morton. The brother has empathic abilities and can fix electronics with a touch, but unlike ET and Starman, cannot restore people to life. There's a subplot about heroin that seems out of place, and the script meanders a bit, but on the whole this is a winner. At the end the MOMA audience gave the film a deserved loud ovation.Highly recommended.(This would make a great double feature with Charles Lane's "Sidewalk Stories." )

A great break-out film from John Sayles. There's so much in this film that got ripped off by later efforts at 'sci fi comedy', especially "The Men In Black", but no later film quite captures the remarkable innocence of the alien visitor here (brilliantly performed by Joe Morton), and none so well integrates insightful satire, touches of thriller, and engagement with social issues - many of which haunt us to this day. And for a low budget film, it looks so good! - obviously the work of crafts-people deciding to do the best they could with what they had. It is true that you may not look back on this film and remember it as a whole story (it is very episodic), but many set-pieces are so good, you'll find it hard to forget them. (For instance, you'll be walking down the street and glance at the graffiti on the wall and suddenly flash-back to the discovery that these missives may be an effort at communication between aliens from another world.) Just infectiously humane and good humored, without losing any depth.

A black skinned alien, who doesn't utter a single word yet understands what others are saying, crashlands in Harlem. He meets various people, such as some quirky, interesting black characters in a bar setting who would befriend him even though he doesn't say anything to them. He often sits or looks on as people just chat away. He has gifted abilities such as his touch being able to repair equipment magically, the way his right eye can be removed and used as an image recording device, can heal wounds, or how anything solid object he embraces with his touch can speak from the noise of a past incident. In Harlem, he's introduced to racism, poverty, lust, drugs, crime, sex, among other things as two alien "police"(played by director Sayles and his frequent actor David Strathairn)are trying to locate his whereabouts so they can "haul him in." The film show our alien's particular interest in two tragic dope-pushers(..and abusers)and how their plight might result from wealthy uptown types. I think ultimately, the film is a candid fish-out-of-water view of Harlem's plight from a babe's point-of-view.Introspective tale regarding Harlem and how it is viewed by many( a beat cop who chats with our alien, two white men from Indiana who get lost, etc). I thought the film was on target using comedy as an avenue to expose what had happened to Harlem over the years. Particularly interesting is listening to the men in the bar as they often are our real insight into how Halrem has changed over the years. Joe Morton is really amazing because he has to be convincing without a line of dialogue. Having us believe he's from some other planet is not the easiest task, but it's a credit to the actor and his director that this flick accomplishes it. Just a brilliant indie from acclaimed writer/director Sayles.

A space alien crash lands in the Hudson River and makes his way to the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. This is not your typical alien - he is mute and can pass for a black human. This setup allows director Sayles to examine the human condition, as it exits in Harlem in the 1980s, from the most innocent of perspectives. I can't comment on the accuracy of the observations made in "The Brother From Another Planet," but I can say it is a fun movie that seems grounded in social reality.The fact that The Brother can't speak works in his favor, since people are quite willing to talk at him about anything and everything that is going on in their lives and they assume that his reactions are accepting and kindly. Maybe quiet listening *is* the way to win friends. The Brother has been pretty trashed by his fall to earth and upon arrival looks much like a homeless person. In no time he comes under the help of social services and its attendant bureaucracy - how easy it is for that to happen is the kind of social observation that runs throughout this film. The Brother has some special talents, like being able to heal wounds. In one of the most touching scenes he heals a minor scrape on the knee of a young kid and the kid just smiles and accepts it as a common occurrence - a testament to how open kids are to any sort of experience.The Brother is being pursued by two men from his home planet, the implication made being that they are trying to retrieve an escaped slave. The two pursuers are played by David Strathairn and Sayles himself. They are dressed in all black and seem to be a takeoff on John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in "The Blues Brothers." Their movements are choreographed in a synchronized way that has hilarious effect. They can speak, but are not much more familiar with human behavior than The Brother. In one scene at a neighborhood bar they are asked what they want to drink and, after some hesitation, they say "Beer," and then are asked what kind and say "Draft," and then add "On the rocks." This movie is not to be watched for any special sci-fi effects, which are not much beyond those in 50s B-movies, but rather for the keen observations and the winning performance by Joe Morton as the alien. Morton's performance is all the more admirable since, being speechless, he has to revert to the skills of the silent film actors to command our attention.I am still a bit mystified by the ending. It resolves the fascination the The Brother has with graffiti, but left me with several possible interpretations.