17/02/2024 - BERLINALE 2024: In his sophomore feature, Piero Messina explores a wide array of old and new sci-fi tropes, crafting a touching yet imperfect tale about loss

What is our identity made of? How does memory contribute to one’s identity? What role do memory and identity play when we are coping with the loss of a loved one? These are the crucial questions tackled by Piero Messina’s sophomore feature, Another End [+see also:
trailer
interview: Piero Messina
film profile], which is playing in the main competition of this year’s Berlinale.

Set in a rather gloomy but not-too-distant future, this dystopian drama zooms in on Sal (Gael García Bernal), a man who has lost the love of his life, Zoe. Failing to cope with his loss and digging deep into his memories and those of his late lover, Sal is being taken care of by his sister Ebe (Bérénice Bejo), who observes with concern his downward spiral of sadness and self-destruction. Ebe convinces Sal to overcome his struggle by trying the titular new tech, which is able to briefly bring the consciousness of a person who has died back to life. In this way, Sal once again meets with Zoe, whose soul, brain and memories are alive again, albeit in the body of another person who acts as a “host” (rising star Renate Reinsve). The program, however, is only set to run for a limited amount of time, and its apparent primary goal is to help one finally bid farewell to one’s nearest and dearest.

The picture’s first part manages to introduce the characters and the basic concepts of the story world in quite a simple, yet not overly obvious, fashion. The dialogues are dry, and there’s enough on the plate to keep the audience hooked – after all, we know Sal and Ebe are playing with fire, and we fully expect chaos to ensue. The second part takes a more melodramatic direction, sometimes perhaps a bit overstretched and slightly sappy, but it leads to a satisfying closure of the narrative arc.

Aesthetically speaking, the picture is elegant. The cinematography, lensed by Fabrizio La Palombara, makes careful use of blue, black and grey shades, thus crafting a very depressing, cold-hearted atmosphere that makes both the interior and exterior locations rather lifeless and anonymous. The score, courtesy of Bruno Falanga, is also spot on, boasting some captivating themes that loosely echo film noir-like instrumental tracks and Michael Andrews’ “Goldfish”. As for the editing process, one of Paola Freddi’s most intriguing features is the abrupt cutting of some of the emotional climaxes – this stops some scenes from appearing too sugar-coated and immediately brings us back to the sad reality of Sal’s existence.

All in all, Messina’s tale is a highly emotional journey, albeit one based on a wide array of old and new tropes in literary and cinematic sci-fi. There are dozens of crystal-clear references and hints – as well as some more obscure ones – which make this work not particularly original and leave us with a rather strong feeling of déjà vu. Some films and series that may spring to mind include Spike Jonze’s Her, M Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, and the Black Mirror episodes The Entire History of You and Be Right Back.

That being said, the excellent performances of the three lead actors (and that of García Bernal in particular, who makes Sal a very relatable character) together with the nifty visual style might make it a good crowdpleaser. In addition, it includes a few key scenes set amidst everyday life – for example, watching a flick together at home – able to tug at the viewers’ heartstrings.

Another End was produced by Italy’s Indigo Film and Rai Cinema. Newen Connect is selling the picture internationally.

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Photogallery 18/02/2024: Berlinale 2024 - Another End

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