I have a feeling that this will be one the most cryptic reviews I’ll have written since I started putting my opinion onto the information superhighway a little over nine years ago. You see, I’m not so sure I can say too much about the plot for I Origins. And it’s not so much that I tend to write a big plot synopsis … it’s that discussing the film in any meaningful manner pretty much necessitates divulging bits and pieces about the plot. And no, I don’t know of any big lid on things when it comes to what the movie is about, but I’m not a big fan of spoiling movies that attempt to think outside of the box, so that’s just how this is going to go.

As is my tendency, I avoided every trailer and went into the movie with as little information about the movie as possible. I knew it came from writer/director Mike Cahill and starred Michael Pitt and Brit Marling. That’s really all I needed to know. I was a huge fan of Cahill and Marling’s last combined effort, Another Earth. It’s one of the movies I’ve recommended to friends the most in the past few years, and my admiration for that film only increased following great interviews with each of them about the movie.

So what would I think of I Origins? Well … after spending a few days to see if more rumination would affect my initial reaction … I’m saddened to say that my biggest feeling is disappointment. Part of that is my own fault for going into it with expectations I don’t normally have. Having spoken with Cahill and Marling, I know how intelligent and passionate the pair are about their projects. They still give me hope that the movie industry isn’t becoming little more than a way for rich producers to shelter their money from the IRS. But this latest movie seems like a wonderful concept that gets lost in its execution.

First off, I’m being asked to believe that Michael Pitt is a scientist. Having watched Dawson’s Creek, I still contend he pretty much plays the role of Henry Parker in nearly everything I’ve seen him do since. (Wait … what did I just admit to?) I know that isn’t completely accurate, but he’s an actor that simply never resonated with me, and nothing he does here changed my perception.

Making matters worse is that the first half of the movie is pure exposition in order to get us to the heart of the matter … and much of it is really uninteresting. Aside from one rather bold choice regarding the fate of one of the characters, much of the back story being built here is rather bland, and the same beats could likely have been delivered in half the time.

Then we get to the back half of the movie … well … again, I’d rather not get into the issues at hand as I don’t want to turn this into a discussion of issues outside the cinematic realm, nor do I want to spoil what is the driving theme being explored. Suffice to say, I’m again of two minds here. On the one hand, I appreciate what Cahill is trying to do. On the other, the manner in which events unfold is far too convenient, and thanks to the performances, it’s all clumsily delivered. It’s almost as if the script would get to a certain point, but because it’s hit a wall, some quasi-deus ex machina had to come about to get things moving again.

I was also rather confused by the William Mapother cameo. The way in which he comes on-screen and in how he interacts with Pitt implies a far greater role in the closing scenes, and yet, unless I simply missed it, there’s really no follow-through. Even in the film’s final moments, I was still wondering about some other ancillary characters whose lives would likely be turned upside down by the conclusions Pitt and Marling come to, but we never come back to them.

Unlike Another Earth, where the film was constructed in such a way as to allow for an ambiguous ending to make complete sense, I Origins just feels unfinished and almost like this is a rough cut with decisions still left to be made about a reshooting schedule. And believe me, I really, really wanted to like this movie. It was on my personal Top 5 anticipated movies for the year. But expectations are a killer … and when you reach for lofty heights, you don’t always get there. I applaud Cahill’s ambition, and I would still eagerly catch whatever his next project ends up being, but this just didn’t come together.

As a semi-post script to this whole review, I don’t know many critics personally who disagree with me all that much in terms of this movie, but I’ve seen plenty of chatter elsewhere from moviegoers who find I Origins fascinating. Take that for what you will as it’s a good reminder that one should always make up their own mind about things. I’d like to think of myself as a helpful guide when it comes to time and money people spend on films, and am not perturbed in the least if you find it easiest to do the opposite of what I recommend. That’s just your opinion, man. And for this, at least you know mine.

GRADE: D+

I Origins is rated R for some sexuality/nudity, and language.