The movie takes on a powerful adventure as a strange alien space crashes to the ground, in search of help for its afflicted planet. It appears that this man has created a high-tech company to get the billions of dollars he needs to build a spacecraft. One day, this alien meets Marie Lou, the girl who falls in love and turns things around.
Nicolas Roeg's mid-'70s sci-fi misfire about an alien (Bowie) trying to save his planet but falling prey to Earth's temptations is self-indulgent garble with a haunting premise.
The real story is less about the sci-fi and more about the weirdness on Earth, a woozy dream of greed and alcohol and betrayal, as the gentle Newton is preyed upon by hucksters and the American government.
If you're looking for a gripping narrative then look elsewhere; enjoy the B-movie effects and crash zooms, melodramatic acting, eclectic soundtrack, Hockney-esque visuals and Bowie's effortless charisma instead.
Bowie's screen debut still fascinates whenever he's on-screen, and it's full of little reminders of how much has changed since the movie was made.
The Blu Spot
January 23, 2017
Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell to Earth features a fine performance from David Bowie and a gorgeous production design, but the story is ultimately a choppy, unfocused, and meandering mess that results in a cold and distant film.
