IslandGuru Who payed the critics

Manthast Absolutely amazing

Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

CinemaClown Bringing its whacky premise to cinematic life in a simple, amusing fashion, Denis Villeneuve's feature film debut is a well crafted, wonderfully photographed & finely performed dramedy that commences his filmmaking journey on a promising note.August 32nd on Earth tells the story of a young woman who starts questioning her mortality after surviving a near fatal car crash and concludes that having a baby is the only way to give her vacant life some meaning, and asks her best friend to help her conceive.Written & directed by Denis Villeneuve (best known for Incendies, Arrival & Blade Runner 2049), August 32nd on Earth has a lighthearted vibe to it when compared to his later works but the existential theme that's evident in nearly all his films is very much present here.Also notable is its flexible camerawork, for the director experiments with numerous techniques to give its images a distinct quality while its bright colour palette helps in keeping things afloat. Performances are a definite plus too as the film benefits from sincere inputs from its cast.On an overall scale, August 32nd on Earth isn't as refined or engrossing as Denis Villeneuve's later works but for a debut feature, it's not too shabby. There are hints of brilliance scattered here n there but nothing that really stands out. A simple, silent beginning if not a memorable one, August 32nd on Earth is where it all started for one of contemporary cinema's most gifted, acclaimed & versatile filmmakers.

dbdumonteil Simone (Pascale Bussières) is a young Canadian fashion model who is on the brink of a brilliant career. But this bright future could be thwarted due to a serious car accident of which she miraculously survives. In the aftermath, she decides to put an end to her professional life and becomes obsessed with the idea to have a baby. So, she persuades her best friend, Philippe (Alexis Martin) to act with and for her and the latter accepts provided they do it in the desert. A few days later, they are in this silent, eerie place..."Un 32 Août Sur Terre" is a curious work that will puzzle a good proportion of viewers. It reminded me a lot of "Twentynine Palms" (2003) by Bruno Dumont although this film is posterior to Denis Villeneuve's film. This was also a film set in an ominous, desert place and in which evolved two tortured characters. They had (wild) sex there and they were surrounded by an unforgiving humanity. In a way, humanity isn't also very gentle to Simone and Philippe in this film: the taxi driver jettisons them in the desert, Alexis is bludgeoned by a gang of ruffians.Simone's demeanor leaves the ground open for many interpretations: is it because she came close to death that she wants to have a baby? Does she want to discover a new way of life? And if so, where does it lead her? Apart from other many questions that will rise in the viewer's mind, Villeneuve deftly uses the desert landscapes to create majestic, entrancing images. It's even a sort of "in camera" that the director manages to create. A sensation that will come again later when the two friends are in the cramped hotel room. The sense of fantastic is palpable throughout the film: from this car accident to these extra days in August that don't exist to this irrational sequence during which the gang beat Philippe to death. In the end, Villeneuve shrouds his film with a philosophical dimension revolving around life and death.In Philippe's house, there's a cover depicting Jean Seberg who saw her career taking off thanks to Jean-Luc "God Ard"'s "A Bout De Soufflé" (1959). Godard's detractors blame him for his intellectual pretensions which clutter his works. Many viewers will also deem this work as highbrow and elusive for understandable reasons. Keep it for a day during which you are prone to reflection and thought as it's not a work for the mainstream. And for French viewers, beware! As Quebec people speak with a very pronounced accent, it's sometimes difficult to decipher their words

otaku_ariane I guess this is the kind of movie you'll like if you call a sheet of paper totally painted in a single color «art».Long. Uninteresting (for the scenario part I mean, the visuals are quite good). Falsely "profound". I still can't believe the 3 minutes scene where they are sitting in the desert, looking at each other, than looking at the ground, then looking at each other, etc. No, I don't think action is required for a movie to be good, but I do believe a plot and a decent scenario is always a good idea.And what to say about the end? When I saw it all I could think of was «I think I saw 10 movies that ended this way», and I felt like laughing (I believe it was supposed to make you cry, not sure, the "ambiance" thing everyone is talking about seems not to have worked on me). I believe listening to the silence is an activity as exciting as watching this movie.

a-fool I'm here just to say it's qualified to be among the best ones, deserves watching more than once,and the director is very promising, for it's his debut.The reality is so ridiculous and unreasonable, we have to accept it as it is.Fortunately, we still have love to warm us and protect us from the coldness and cruelty.which needs to be added,the leading actress Pascale is nearly perfect,I also got a glimpse of her in Five Senses.I hope I can see her in When Night is Falling someday.