The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Director: Nicolas Roeg
Starring: David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark

Synopsis:
A thin British eccentric who starts up a high-tech corporation is actually an alien on a mission to save his dying world.

Impressions:
In light of David Bowie's recent passing, I decided to give this movie a watch. The poster always managed to catch my eye. My feelings for this movie are... complicated. It's very surreal, to the point of nearly feeling like one giant non sequitur. There's a lot of gratuitous sex and nudity. I say gratuitous because while a certain degree serves to establish the character of Nathan Bryce and to represent Thomas' increasing indulgence in human pleasures, it definitely goes beyond that. Whether this aspect is actually repellent to you will depend on what kind of person you are. While the reveal of Thomas' alien nature comes nearly a third of the way into the movie, there's something off about him from the start and David Bowie gives a strong performance as someone who's not quite human. The theme of being absorbed by human vices is interesting. They even got Jim Lovell to appear in a cameo if you can believe it. I certainly wouldn't recommend this movie to everyone, but if you're a David Bowie fan or if you're just in the mood for a bit of a mind-bender, you may want to give it a try. However, the disjointed storytelling, creepy imagery and excessive adult content may prompt you to pass this one up.

Rating:
50/50